


Lucky Ones

by poetryboy



Series: Bad Desire [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Attempt at Humor, Cheesy Romance Novel Aesthetic, Drama, Falling In Love, M/M, Minor Violence, Mutual Pining, Organized Crime, Romance, Slow Burn, Some minor side ships, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-08-09 03:35:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 66,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16442243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetryboy/pseuds/poetryboy
Summary: Moving away from your dull hometown sure is exciting, but getting involved with a shady old biker dude is even more so!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How nostalgic is this? For some unknown reason I suddenly decided it was a good idea to fall headfirst back to the KH fandom and being in love with this ship, after about ten years of not giving a damn ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> English is not my first language and I don't have a beta, so I'm sorry if the writing is confusing at times.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! And feel free to let me know what you think!

 

 

 _”Dear passengers, we are about to start preparing for the landing._  
_Please fasten_ _your seatbelts and keep them on until the red lights above you turn off.”_

 

 Demyx lifted the sleeping mask to his forehead and rubbed his tired eyes. Looking out the window, he could see how the early morning sun already peeked in the horizon, its purple-tinted light beaming upon the islands below. Ocean surrounding the golden shores glimmered like a swarm of small diamonds.

 He turned his gaze away, shielding his eyes from the piercing rays. The sight would have absolutely made his young heart race with excitement and his feet feel restless, if it wasn’t for the potent sleep deprivation he was suffering from. Despite his bright and easygoing nature, Demyx had been stressing over his approaching relocation to the Destiny Islands for a solid month by then. Apparently all the burdensome 'adulting', that moving to a new place required, could make even the most optimistic person to lose their good night's sleep in the long run.

 The flight from Traverse Town to the Islands had taken about eight hours. Demyx had been very determined to catch some Z’s as soon as the gummi ship took off, but despite his persistent attempts, the sleep had remained merely a utopia. He let out a long sigh; so much for the refreshing visit to the sweet realm of dreams. Popping his earphones off, he concluded it was best to start gathering up his stuff. At the very moment Demyx felt his phone buzz against his thigh. He reached to pry it out from the pocket of his jeans.

  

    **Zexion:**   _I_ _assume your flight is landing any minute now?_ _Forgive me for not being able to come pick you,_ _but Lex should be there soon._ _Gigantic guy with a resting bitch face, very hard to miss._

 

 If Demyx didn’t know any better, it would have easily sounded like becoming his roommate was something his friend wasn't too thrilled about. Chuckling at the likely unintented passive-aggressiveness of the message, he typed to answer:

 

     _No problem! I’m looking forward meeting your friend :))_

 

 ***

 As he some moments later stepped through the sliding doors and inside the main building of Destiny Islands' gummi ship harbor, Demyx found himself a bit taken aback by how crowded the place was.

 Though he was well aware that the Islands were a whole lot more vivacious place than Traverse Town, it took him a moment to find his bearings. It was in a way exhilarating to be surrounded by so much life and sound. As it were, Demyx was sure he'd appreciate the city’s vividness a lot more after getting some sleep. Fastening his grip on the strap of his bag, he dived into the maze of people rushing by. The fog occupying Demyx’s exhausted mind cleared the moment his sight landed on a blue guitar case spinning happily around on the baggage carousel. Shoulder bag, guitar and one suitcase were the only belongings with him, so claiming them went smoothly enough.

 Upon receiving their luggage, the clusters of swarming people began slowly to scatter. Demyx eyed his surroundings carefully, looking for the sour-faced giant fitting to Zexion’s description. After a while of fruitless searching, he figured the man must have been delayed somehow or simply waiting outside.

 ”Are you Demyx?” Someone spoke all of a sudden behind his back.

 ”That’s me!” He exclaimed, voice high-pitched by the surprise. Demyx spun around and was greeted by the sight of a green, avocado-shaped cat. He looked higher, and once his neck was strained to its core, he saw the face of a man wearing the weird t-shirt; a huge guy who couldn’t look less amused. He absolutely fit into Zexion’s description.

 “Lexaeus", the man stated gruffly, reaching out his hand in greeting.

 Deciding it would be rude, Demyx forced back the smirk threatening to break out on his face. This was Zexion’s friend, alright.

 “Nice to meet you, Lex! Thanks for coming to pick me up.” Demyx shook hands with the stout man, Lexaeus’ enormous fist engulfing his smaller hand entirely.

The man simply nodded. “That all you got?” He raised an eyebrow skeptically, referring to the scarce amount of Demyx’s belongings.

 “Uh, yeah”, Demyx let out a small laugh. “Since my new life is about to begin, I didn’t feel like dragging all of the past with me.” Immediately after saying that he realized, how it might have come off a bit more dramatic than he had meant to.

 Lexaeus accepted the answer with straight face, though. “Want me to carry some of those?”

 “Sweet of you to ask, but I think I’ll manage.”

 Lexaeus led them through the main hall and out the sliding doors to the harbor’s parking lot. The sun had climbed high in the sky, making the asphalt below their feet heat up like a huge frying pan. Though it was already the beginning of September, the weather remained hot and humid as ever. Lex had parked his car only a few meters apart from the entrance. Demyx wasn’t one to judge a person by their appearance, but to be fair, a small turquoise beetle wasn’t the first thing he would have associated with the tough-looking man.

 ”I like your car. Turquoise is my favorite color”, Demyx said after managing his stuff inside the small trunk and taking the front seat next to Lexaeus.

 For a moment it looked like Lexaeus was blushing, though it might have been just the heat. "Thanks. I painted her myself”, he mumbled, focusing pointedly on fastening the seatbelt.

 Demyx was certain he also caught a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and couldn’t help but smile himself. He wondered if Zexion was aware how much he resembled his stoic friend.

 Silence that fell in the car wasn’t awkward at all; Lexaeus’ calm demeanor made Demyx’s strained thoughts slow down and his stiff muscles to relax. Cheerful radio hosts’ lighthearted conversation on the car radio blended with the sounds of the city waking up outside. Looking out the window, Demyx marveled the beauty of his new hometown. After years of living in cold and gloomy Traverse Town, a bubbly city with full of light and life was a welcomed change. Shopping centers and huge office buildings reaching up to the sky didn’t make the environment seem harsh or too artificial at all. Palm trees full of paopu fruit lined the roadway on both sides, and bushes with colorful flowers scattered the cityscape, making it look alluringly refreshing.

 Demyx had visited the Islands only once before. His parents had taken him there for a family vacation when he was about five years old. He couldn’t remember much of it, but the happy faces of local people and cloudless blue sky above the shimmering ocean still lived vivaciously in his memories.

 Driving through downtown, they soon found themselves caught in a traffic jam.

 “We’re lucky it’s Saturday. The jams on weekdays are way worse”, Lexaeus informed him.

 Among many things Demyx already admired in his new city, the peaceful and collected attitude people seemed to have even amidst the jammed traffic was one of them. It was a complete opposite to Traverse Town, where folks lost their minds to the road rage over the smallest of things. Here in the Islands no one seemed to be in a hurry. Everyone waited for the green light patiently and the people crossing the street could do so without hurrying for their lives. Zexion had told him about the laid-back nature of the Islanders, and now, upon witnessing it in practice, Demyx found himself very convinced.

 It was after fifteen minutes until the lane was clear again. After driving a while on the road next to oceanside, the buzzing of city’s lively centre began slowly changing into a more suburban-looking area.

 ”We’re here.” They pulled at the parking lot of a bright yellow apartment building, where Lexaeus handed Demyx the keys to his new home. “I would come and show you to the place, but I’m afraid I must head to work now, or I’ll be seriously late.” The man sounded truly sorry about that.

 “No problem, Lex. You’ve already been a great help.” Demyx took the keys and put them in the pocket of his jeans. After loading his luggage from back of the car, he thanked Lexaeus once again.

”Don’t mention it", Lexaeus said. This time he didn’t hold back the smile tugging at his lips. “Welcome to the Destiny Islands, Demyx. I have a feeling you'll fit right in.” With that, the turquoise beetle took off, leaving Demyx by himself.

 The apartment was located at the fourth floor. The building was old and didn’t have a lift, so Demyx was left hauling his property using the stairs. He was lucky to have so little with him, although they alone proved to be a downright menace to drag. Especially the suitcase, which half-way to the third floor started to feel like it was packed up with bricks. When he finally found himself facing the door with the number 15 on the door, he was embarrassingly winded.

 ”I really need to start going to a gym again”, he mumbled under his breath, willing his frantically beating heart to calm down.

 Demyx had already seen the apartment in pictures Zexion sent him, but the extensiveness of the place still managed to surprise him. There was a roomy bathroom with a tub, a spacious area where the living room and kitchen assembled, two bedrooms and a wide balcony. Zexion, ever so faithful to his minimalistic sense of aesthetic, had decorated the household in a moderate manner; the interior was a collective set of black and white with an occasional touch of grey here and there. It could have easily looked too collected for Demyx’s tastes, but the brightness of the apartment and the succulents scattering the place made it appear vibrant and cozy.

 On the round kitchen table he found a cream cake with strawberries waiting for him. _'_ _Welcome home'_  was written with pink marzipan on top of the frosting. A wave of emotion washed over Demyx, the hectic tempo of the last couple of days finally catching up with him making the feeling even more intense. Knowing the nature of Zexion’s baking skills, the cake was store bought for sure, but for Demyx it was the thought that mattered.

 ”Aww Zex, I knew you cared!” He wiped the wetness from the corner of his eyes. It was clearly the time for some cake and a nice cup of coffee rather than ugly sobbing.

 Demyx took his Cake Time to the sunbathed balcony. Compared to the sophisticated decor of the indoors, the balcony was a disorderly one, with all the empty cardboard boxes and pieces of unbuilt furniture lying around. Demyx sat down on a lone rattan chair, placing the cake plate and coffee on a small wooden table. His eyes felt like they were burning from the lack of sleep. After the cake and a quick check up on social media, he figured it would be finally the time to hit the hay. Zexion’s shift would end around 4 PM, so Demyx had enough time to knock himself out before their meet up at a Heartbucks Coffee his friend worked at.

 After some minutes in swiping up his Heartstagram feed, his phone buzzed, informing him of a received email. He didn’t think much of it, being positive it was probably just a spam mail or something as important. Still he tapped his way to the inbox to check on it, and almost fell off his chair.

 

_Hello, Demyx!_

 

_We found your application very impressive._

_Your qualifications are on point for sure, and your easygoing and happy attitude comes handy in a customer service job like this._

_Without further ado, we would be happy to have you working here at The Oblivion._

_Let us know if you are willing to accept the offer, so we can agree the date for signing your contract as soon as possible._

 

_With friendly regards,_

_Vice Manager of The Oblivion_

_Axel_

 

 He had to read the message several times before it finally clicked in his head – _he had a job!_

 Before moving to the Islands, Demyx had applied to so many places that it took him a while to figure what kind of place this _The Oblivion_  was. Even amidst the euphoric high about the promising possibility of financial security in his near future, he couldn’t but be a bit suspicious of it all. Wasn’t it a bit weird how they were so eager to hire him, just like that? They hadn’t even met him! Anyone could claim to be ’hard working’ and ’good with people.'

 Then it occured to him - wasn’t The Oblivion the night club that opened near the Island’s downtown few months ago? The place had been looking for a new bartender to hire and requested the applications to be sent in a video form. This had been a lucky occurrence on Demyx’s behalf, since talking with strangers and friends alike was kind of a talent of his.

 Sweaty fingertips fidgeting from excitement, Demyx typed his answer. At the very moment he sent the message, he recalled the stuff Zexion had told him about The Oblivion –

_”You cannot possibly want to work there, Demyx. It’s a local place-to-be for drug dealers and violent thugs causing havoc! Also, I heard that the guy who runs the place used to be some kind of gangster.”_

The phone slipped away from Demyx’s sweaty grip, landing right into his cake piece. ”Shit!” He cursed, fishing the unlucky object from the midst of the smashed cake.

 Of course the only place willing to hire him was a possible mob headquarter in disguise. On the other hand, Zexion had always been quick to judge. As good friend as he was, Demyx got to admit, how he could be such an Academic Snob sometimes. When he really thought about it, it seemed kind of believable actually. Zexion had probably needed to take one look at the place, in order to decide just how uncool it was. Also, the vice manager, Axel, seemed like a decent enough guy. Demyx nodded at his train of thought. He would give the place a chance. The cold hard fact was, that no other place he sent the applications had yet approached him. No way was he going to let the offer go just because Zexion didn’t deem the place worthy enough!

 The monologue inside his exhausted mind was starting to make his head spin. After returning the empty dishes to the kitchen sink and putting the cake to fridge, Demyx headed straight to living room and threw his drained body on the black leather couch. He set the alarm on and put the sleeping mask over his eyes. He let out a heavy, content sigh; how could simply lying on your back feel so nice?

 Regardless of all the stressing thoughts cartwheeling in his head, the dreamland claimed his tired mind pleasingly soon.

 

*** 

 When the alarm sounded off some hours later, for Demyx it felt like only a few minutes had passed since he'd fallen asleep. His head felt foggy and a nagging sensation of disorientation maintained his thoughts. He was fairly sure how bloodthirsty mobsters and a hostage situation had an essential role in the dreams he just saw.

 Demyx checked the time from his phone. Zexion’s shift would end in few hours. With a groan, he pried his body off the couch, exhaustion lingering heavily within his limbs. Luckily, a cold shower as well as putting on some clean clothes made him feel considerably more like a human being. After brushing his teeth and fixing his hair with generous amount of gel and hairspray, he was ready to head out.

Five minutes in being outdoors and Demyx was already feeling like a walking stain of sweat. He wasn’t going to complain about the tropical climate of his new home, but it would clearly take some time getting used to it after all the years living in Traverse Town.

 Between his college studies, Zexion worked as a barista at a Heartbucks Coffee that was located nearby their part of town. Demyx figured he would go there by walking, since the place was apparently not that far away. He took his phone from the pocket of his jean shorts and tapped open the Moogle Maps. Eyes keenly on the instructions the app was giving him, he was completely unaware how the traffic light turned red for him just as he stepped on the crosswalk.

 At the very same moment, a devastatingly loud revving of engine filled the air. Demyx’s heart jumped right to his throat. From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of black coming at him with a furious speed, before he closed his eyes and reached his hands to shelter his head. Sharp screeching of brakes was soon followed by thunderous hollering.

 ” _Goddammit, you fuckin’ idiot!_ You have a death wish or something?”

 Demyx flinched at the harsh voice, lifting his head up swiftly. On the saddle of a vintage-style motorcycle sat a man dressed in black leather jacket. From under the helmet Demyx could make out his rugged face, where a huge, dark scar reached all the way from his left cheek, stopping at the edge of a lone golden eye. Black eye-patch covered the area where his right eye should have been. The piercing look on the remaining one was enough to pin Demyx right where he was standing.

 “The hell are you ogling at? Move along before I crush you flat like a pancake!”

 ”I-I’m so sorry!”

 Demyx’s feet felt like jelly as he wobbled his way to the sidewalk. As his thoughts began to get more coherent, he slapped himself across the face mentally. What was he being such a wimp for? The guy was about to run him over and wasn’t even sorry about it! Demyx itched to turn around and let the asshole get a piece of his mind, but the noisy engine revved back to full volume the moment he moved off the vehicle's way. With a flash of black, the nasty biker was gone, leaving nothing but trail of black smoke behind.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

 The bell over Heartbucks Coffee’s door chimed as Demyx walked in. The coffee shop seemed to be entirely crowded by groups of school kids in blue and white uniforms, filling the place with cheery chitchat. Making his way through the vast sea of lively teenagers and towards the counter, Demyx tried to locate the telltale blue hair over the shoulders of strangely tall high schoolers.

 ”Zex! Oh man, it feels like ages since we’ve seen each other”, Demyx exclaimed the moment his eyes landed on a heap of blue hair tied up in a bun. As soon as he got a better glimpse at the man in question, he realized he got the wrong person. The other blue-haired guy turned on his heel, rising an annoyed brow at him. Definitely not Zexion. Though his short friend was able to appear intimidating with his icy cool demeanor, this guy was just next level.

 “Oh, I’m sorry”, Demyx laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed under the not-Zexion’s sharp leer. “I thought you were-“

 “Demyx, there you are.” Zexion stepped through the doors behind the counter. It had been at least a year since the day Zexion moved to the Islands, and Demyx had missed his best friend on a daily basis ever since then, but only upon seeing him, he realized just how badly.

 ”Come here, shorty!” Without giving his actions much thought, Demyx squeezed his friend in a thorough hug. "It's good to see you."

 Unlike Demyx, Zexion wasn’t one to perform such emotional acts in public, so when Demyx felt him squeezing back, though a bit hesitantly, he was surprised and rather moved by the act. 

”Likewise”, Zexion remarked. As they detached from the embrace, the small smile on his face faltered instantly. “Are you quite alright, Demyx?”

 “Why wouldn’t I be?” Demyx asked, a bit confused about what made his friend question such thing out of the blue.

 “You are white as a sheet. Did something happen?”

 Angry revving of engine and a cloud of black smoke flashed behind Demyx’s eyes. The terrifying rough voice and a golden leer… the memory made his feet weak and his stomach feel weird. He hadn’t even realized, just how deeply the incident actually affected him.

 “Well”, Demyx shrugged, keeping his carefree composition carefully in check. “I almost died.”

 

***

 “You can’t just run around like that here! You are not in Traverse Town anymore”, Zexion grumbled, cramming his take away noodles angrily into his mouth.

 Demyx had been forced listening to Zexion’s scolding about his irresponsibility all the way from the coffee shop to their apartment, and it seemed like there would be no end to the nagging in all evening.

 ”Quit roasting me, I get it, okay”, Demyx huffed, feeling utterly defeated. Lifting his hand to his heart, he stated with mockingly official voice, “I, Demyx, hereby announce you, that I will _not_ throw myself in the way of creepy old bikers anymore!”

 “I’ll need that on a paper”, Zexion chuckled, his annoyed frown cracking a little, which Demyx counted a small victory.

 After finishing their late dinner consisting of fried noodles and pepsi, Demyx offered generously to take the first turn doing the dishes. He felt a bit taken aback about how furious Zexion had been over the biker-incident. He guessed he was happy how much his friend cared for his safety, but the last thing he wanted was Zexion still seeing him as the irresponsible dumbass he used to be back in Traverse Town, when they were still in high school. He had done some foolish things back then, and Zexion had always been there to drag him out of the trouble. But they weren’t kids anymore. Zexion had his own problems to worry and Demyx absolutely didn’t wish to be one of them.

 Now, if he would only figure how to bring up his new job at The Oblivion…

 “So, any news from all those places you applied for?” Zexion asked, as if reading his mind.

 Demyx cleared his throat, summoning his best unconcerned tone. “Well, actually…”

 

 ***

 To Demyx’s surprise, Zexion hadn’t flipped on him as badly as he had feared. Or at least he didn’t show it, which Demyx greatly appreciated. He was a full-fledged twenty-four year old, completely capable of making his own decisions! Whether the place really was as precarious as Zexion claimed, he would find out soon himself, since he had agreed to go and sign the contract tomorrow.

 Demyx hopped off the crowded bus, making his way to the gym near downtown. He felt kind of proud of himself, being up and about this early on Sunday. He had woken up soon after Zexion left for his shift at the coffee shop at 7AM. The bright morning sun tickling his face had been way too tempting, and strangely the yesterday’s weariness seemed to be completely gone. He was a bit nervous, though; it had been a while since the last time he went to a gym. The one he decided to give a try was part of a chain business called _Health Kingdom_. According to Zexion it was a place where young folks, such as students usually went, so Demyx figured there wouldn’t be so much pressure to work out super fiercely.

 The gym was pretty quiet that morning. After purchasing a membership card from a nice lady, and changing into his workout outfit in the locker room, Demyx decided to warm up his muscles a bit. In front of a wall of large mirrors there was a place for hand weights and exercise sticks. He went for the sticks, choosing to take it easy and stretch out a bit first. The cheery indie-rock playing on his earphones soon got him in high spirits; playfully picturing himself as a graceful and almighty _Airbender_ , the stick in Demyx's hand started flying around with rather abrupt movements. As he made one remarkably swift motion upwards to his right side, he felt the head of the stick colliding with something. Or rather someone.

 “Ouch! What the hell, man?”

 A nasty sensation twisted in his stomach. He knew that voice. Demyx spun around, finding an all too familiar man with scarred face and a missing eye behind him. From the look of it, Demyx had managed to hit the guy right in his remaining one.

 “Well, if it isn’t the reckless blond from yesterday”, the man grumbled. Lowering his hand from his lonely eye, he leered daggers at Demyx. Even when crouching a bit downwards in pain, the guy was at least a head taller than him, his lean body looked taut with muscle.

 Demyx was certain his feet would betray him at any second now. His first instinct was to apologize and flee quickly as possible, but to his very own surprise, he found himself standing his ground.

 “That was for almost running me over with that tacky monstrosity!” He blurted. Though he felt anything but confident with his righteous reasoning, Demyx didn't flinch nor sink before the frightening stranger as he stood in his full height and challenged the other man's hostile glare.

 For a one horrible moment Demyx was positive the man was about to deck him right on the spot, but instead he looked a little astonished before bursting into a booming laughter.

 “As if. How about you start paying more attention to your surroundings? Kids these days and your stupid _Heart Grahams_ …”

 “It’s Heartstagram, not-“

 “Whatever”, the man interrupted, swaying his hand dismissively and rolling his reddened eye. “I have zero interests in dealing with lil’ shits like you.”

 The nerve of that guy! The fear Demyx had felt towards him was swiftly turning into pure annoyance. The man was rude and intimidating, but on top of that he was apparently also an enormous jerk. Demyx felt his face growing red by the frustration, his entire body shaking from vastly increasing anger.

 “Thanks for the laugh, though", the one-eyed man sneered, visibly satisfied by the reaction he was able to cause. With a cocky smirk he turned to walk away, leaving a very dumbstruck and very pissed Demyx behind.

 He was not really in the mood for working out anymore, but the stubborn side in him refused to quit. That would be admitting his loss to the one-eyed jackass. With newly found determination, Demyx made his way to the treadmill. Choosing the edgiest punk-rock song from his playlist, he started to run his rage away. When he really thought about it, the whole situation was just bonkers; this nasty, old geezer with his ridiculous motorbike just started appearing out of thin air to ruin his days and wouldn’t go away!

 Furiously speeding up his pace, he was completely unaware about someone trying to get his attention, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

 “Dem?” A blond man with neatly trimmed beard and a beaming smile came in to his field of view. “Is it really you?”

 “Lux! What are you doing here?” Demyx exclaimed, popping off his earphones. It had been ages since the last time he saw the guy. Back in Traverse Town his relationship with Luxord had been… a complicated one.

 “Well”, the man started to say, looking a bit sheepish. “I guess I can tell you… I happened to win a considerable sum of munny some months ago and decided to by a nice villa here from the Islands.”

 Luxord had been a pretty famous poker player already when Demyx first met him, but it seemed like he had really exceeded himself this time. Demyx couldn’t really say he was that surprised. Lux had always been Lady Luck’s favorite.

 “Congrats to you! That’s so awesome”, Demyx beamed, continuing jokingly, “How come you descended from your Ivory Tower among us peasants?”

 “Well, it can get kind of lonely once in a while, being there by myself." He looked a bit blue about it for a fleeting moment, before the glowing smile was back on his face. “So, I come here sometimes to help my pal Xaldin around.”

 Luxord beckoned at the direction of the counter, where the woman from earlier had been replaced by a big, brawny guy with black dreadlocks and magnificent sideburns. As if sensing he was being talked about, the man gave a thumbs up at their direction, his stony expression making the act a little amusing. Luxord’s friend wasn’t alone however, but talking to no other than Demyx’s new arch enemy – The One-Eyed Asshole! Tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood up instantly upon seeing the man again.

 “Lux, who’s that guy your friend is talking to?” He did his best to sound very nonchalant about it.

 Luxord squinted his eyes to see who Demyx was referring to. “Pfft, you mean him? That's the most annoying pain in the arse these islands have ever seen!”

 “No kidding”, Demyx muttered under his breath.

 “He happens to be Xaldin’s friend”, Luxord sneered, sounding rather sour about the fact. “I just can’t wrap my head around why Xal wants to hang around a thug like him…”

 Demyx was torn between whether he wanted to ask more about the mysterious asshat or run as far away as his feet could possibly carry. After some pondering, he ended up choosing the latter one.

 “It was nice to see you Lux, but I really should get going now.” A small paranoia nesting on Demyx’s mind was suddenly concerned, if Luxord guessed how his sudden desire to leave had something to do with the guy.

 “You too." Luxord offered him a bashful smile. It was clear he wanted to say more. After a moment he was able to utter, “Would you like to go get a coffee sometime? Or beer if you prefer.”

 Demyx was so eager to leave already, that he missed the man’s visibly flustered expression. “I’d really like that”, he agreed absent-mindedly, offering a smile that he hoped was convincing enough. “See you around, Lux!”

 “I’ll call you!” Luxord’s excited voice hollered after Demyx’s already retreating back.

 Before turning around the corner, Demyx couldn’t help but glance at the direction of the counter. His gaze was immediately captured by a golden eye. The mystery asshole didn’t seem slightest bit embarrassed about getting caught staring, his intrusive leer not faltering at all. Angrily wrenching his gaze away, Demyx hurried to the locker room.

 Zexion was right – fitness was dangerous and overrated.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooo thankful of the kudos and the sweet comment! Thank youuu! I'm very pumped about this story at the moment, and am planning to update regularly as possible! 
> 
> Hope you guys will stick around.

* * *

 

 Demyx didn’t even need to open up the Moogle Maps in order to find a way to his destination. The Oblivion turned out to be a quite noticeable white building that loomed a bit farther away from the buildings and roads of the busy city centre. It kind of reminded him of a castle, where some mysterious vampire count resided, feared by all the villagers.   
 Demyx checked the time from his phone; 4 PM. He let out a sigh of relief. The fine art of not being constantly late was still under practice for him, but it seemed he was making some progress at least.

 Opening the club’s front door, he stepped inside. He was about to announce his arrival, but the sound of two voices quarreling back and forth carrying from somewhere further inside interrupted him. Following the source of the noises, Demyx soon found himself in a wide room with colorful panel floor. In the middle of it there were two men, engaged in what seemed to be a very heated argument.

 “My patience is wearing very thin, Axel”, snarled the blue-haired one, who Demyx immediately recognized as the not-Zexion back from the coffee shop.

 “Oh, come on. They both have talent and you know it”, a very tall and skinny redhead scoffed back.

 The blue-haired man seemed far from convinced. With a sharp motion, he stepped right into the redhead’s personal space. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I refuse to be a part of your ridiculous _Hits For Kids_  band!”

 The redhead rolled his eyes. It was clear this wasn’t the first time they fought over the same thing. “You’re the one who’s being ridiculous here. Their ages have nothing to do with how good they play.”

 “Well, good luck with finding a new vocalist, because you know what? I quit.”

 “You can’t be serious! What about the concert?”

 “Frankly, I do not find myself caring anymore.” Shoving the redhead out of the way, the blue-haired man started to stride away. Passing by Demyx, who had been awkwardly watching the scenario from few feet away, he glanced sharply at his direction, sending shivers running down Demyx's spine.

 After an infallible sound of door being slammed shut with all one’s might, the redhead released a frustrated groan. Noticing Demyx’s presence, he scratched the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner.

 “Sorry about that”, he said, stepping closer to where Demyx was standing. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

 “That’s alright! I should’ve said something instead of just standing here eavesdropping you guys.”

 “I’m positive it was a good thing you didn’t. Saïx might have lost his cool for good”, the redhead chuckled, his tense shoulders visibly easing already. He offered his hand for a greeting. “Axel’s the name.”

 Smiling, Demyx shook hands with the man. “Demyx.”

 “Glad you could make it, Demyx. I hope the display you just witnessed didn’t make you regret coming here.”

 The dancefloor seemed to be the only colorful thing at the place. Aside from that, the whole club looked pretty much like Zexion had decorated it; everything from the furniture to the walls was blindingly white and neat-looking. Fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and beautiful marble sculptures made it look nothing like a hangout place for rowdy thugs. An enormous fountain with funny-looking fish swimming about was placed at the root of the staircase. Demyx felt a bit dizzy climbing the transparent, spiraling steps. He could only imagine how it might feel like for the tipsy customers trying to clamber them at 3 AM. Their destination, the office room was located at the third floor. It was a small, cramped space with a desk that was barely visible under the unorganized heaps of documents.

 ”Well, everything seems to be in order”, Axel remarked after examining the newly signed contract. “Congrats, Demyx, you’re now officially part of the squad.”

 “Thanks! I look forward working here with you guys”, Demyx beamed, proudly admiring his ticket to the lovely land of regular paychecks. It was a lucky thing and great relief, managing to land a job this early into moving to the Islands, even when Zexion's ominous preconceptions about his new workplace were something he couldn't help but fret a bit.

 “Glad to hear that”, Axel chuckled good-naturedly, regarding Demyx’s enthusiasm with slightly astounded amusement.

 Demyx was about to make his way out of the office room but stopped before stepping through the doorway. “Hey”, he had wanted to ask Axel something from the start, and just couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What kind of music your band plays?”

 “Apparently no kind of, since our vocalist discarded us out of the blue”, Axel muttered bitterly. “He left us in the middle of a pretty tricky situation, to be honest. We were supposed to play here at The Oblivion on next week’s Friday.”

 “Maybe he will change his mind and come around before that?” Demyx offered helpfully, slightly regretting about bringing up the topic that clearly upset the man.

 “Saïx?” Axel snorted. “Perhaps when hell freezes.”

 “Well”, Demyx found himself saying, “I prefer playing guitar, but I guess I’m not that horrible of a singer either.” He felt heat creeping up his face immediately after saying that, wondering whether he was being too intrusive already. It had been a while since his own days playing in a band, and the idea of being a part of one again suddenly felt very appealing to him.

 The gloomy air that had descended upon Axel was replaced by hopeful curiosity. “Really?” He leaned forward on his seat. “Oh, but I couldn’t ask you to do that, since you have your hands full getting used to a new job and all.”

 “I learn fast”, Demyx answered without delay. “Besides, I miss being on the stage.”

 At that, Axel’s demeanor brightened greatly. “Well, in that case...”

 

***

 On the next evening, Demyx arrived at The Oblivion an hour before his actual shift started, so one of his new colleagues could brief him for the upcoming night. After instructing Demyx how to manage the cash register as well as where to find the ingredients for specific drinks, his new co-worker withdrew to lean against the bar counter to browse his phone with bored expression. Demyx didn’t usually have any problem coming up with topics in order to start a conversation, but Marluxia’s unresponsive attitude didn’t make it easy even for him. Fidgeting on his seat, Demyx tried to not get too unnerved by the fact that his new colleague was visibly ignoring him.

 “Oh, and by the way”, Marluxia voiced suddenly, not bothering to lift his gaze from the phone, “it’s a pretty regular thing that some local punks try to come and cause trouble in here once in a while.”

 “I see”, Demyx did his best to appear calm, as all the things Zexion had warned him about his new workplace rushed back to his mind. “And, um, why is that?”

 Marluxia shrugged his shoulders. “Apparently they really don’t like our manager. It’s only a rumor, but from what I’ve heard, Xigbar has kicked their asses rather thoroughly in the past.”

 Well, shit. It kind of started to seem like Zexion had in fact been onto something. Demyx had yet to meet the manager himself, since Axel was the one responsible of the recruiting, but things he had heard about him so far sounded dubious to say the least.

 “Don’t worry. There’s a baseball bat with nails attached to it in the backroom, in case things escalate.”

 “A what”, Demyx managed to utter. He was beyond trying to hide the growing horror inside him.

 “Also, Xigbar has kind of a sixth sense for these situations. He and our bouncer, Larxene, beat the living shit out of those thugs every now and then. Of course Axel and I help them sometimes.” Marluxia spoke all of this so nonchalantly, that Demyx had to wonder if he really heard the guy right.

 Why Axel hadn't told him about these things yesterday was just beyond him - what was he to do if those thugs decided to come and pick a fight on his shift? Although he used to be a bit of a troublemaker back in high school, Demyx had never been one to resort to violence in any situation.  
 His head boiling over with apprehensive thoughts, Demyx stepped to the backroom, in order to brew some coffee before the start of their shift. Just when the door to the room flickered shut, an echo of the club’s front door opening was heard, followed soon by approaching footsteps. Demyx was busy enough trying not to work himself up in to a frenzy, that he became aware of the third person's presence only upon hearing Marluxia’s muffled voice behind the door.

_“Speaking of the devil. How is my favorite boss doing on this fine evening?”_

_“Put the phone away Flowerboy, I’m not paying you for melting your brain with that thing”,_ snarled the new voice.

 Demyx felt his heart skip a beat. A mug filled with newly poured coffee almost slipped from his fingers. Holy shit. _This was not happening!_

 Rushing to peek through the small window on the backroom’s door, Demyx’s gut feeling was proven correct. Considering the last few days, he shouldn’t have been that surprised as his eyes landed on nobody else but the One-Eyed Mystery Asshole leaning against the bar counter. Demyx’s hands flew in front of his mouth, preventing an appalled gasp from escaping.

  _“In fact, you are”,_ he heard Marluxia say. _“It’s called social media management, grandpa.”_

_“If you were my grandchild, I would disown you so fast you’d have no idea what hit you.”_

  _“You sure know how to make a guy feel special, don’t you?”_ Marluxia chuckled, finally giving up and putting his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

 _“Quit the crap and get to work”,_ the other man grumbled, starting to make his way towards the staircase leading to the upper floors, but soon stopped in his tracks as if remembering something. _“How’s the rookie holding up?”_

 A nasty sensation twisted in Demyx’s stomach, upon realizing they were talking about him.

 _“Why don’t you go and ask him yourself?"_ Marluxia huffed out an annoyed sigh. _"He went to the backroom to brew us some coffee a while ago. Perhaps your menacing attitude scared him away just like the guy before him.”_

 To Demyx’s great horror, he saw the man starting to stroll towards the door. _Hide! Quickly!_ His panic filled thoughts screamed at him.

  _“You’re one to talk about attitudes”,_ he heard him sneer. _“I’m telling you, you kids are way too sensitive these days…“_

 The door flung open, revealing a very bewildered Demyx standing in the middle of the room like a rabbit in the headlights.

 “You-“ the man hissed, only golden eye narrowing ominously at the sight of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly trying to soothe his nerves. “Why are you here?”

 “I, uh”, Demyx fidgeted. Maybe, if he concentrated hard enough, the floor below his feet would bend to his will and swallow him whole. “I’m… working here?”

 “The hell you are”, the man snapped, causing Demyx to flinch. “Is he?” He shouted at Marluxia’s direction.

 The pink-haired man followed the occurring episode with shameless curiosity. “Yup. That’s the new guy”, he answered, visibly eager to see how the situation would escalate. “I think you broke him, though.”

 “Demyx”, speaking up suddenly, Demyx offered his hand towards his new boss. “My name is Demyx.”

 The man looked down on him with calculating expression. Demyx refused to falter under the all too familiar leer.

 “Xigbar”, he finally replied and to Demyx’s utter surprise, clasped the hand he offered. His firm grip felt rough and calloused against Demyx’s skin. ”Okay, squirt”, he scoffed after releasing his hand. “If Flamesilocks thinks you’re suitable for the job, I guess I’ll give you a chance.”

 Demyx was completely at a loss for words, managing nothing but a sharp nod. Turning on his heel, his new boss was out of the room. Demyx found it hard to pry his eyes from the man's retreating form. From what he'd heard, Xigbar was one of the wealthiest people in all Destiny Islands, though his rugged looks successfully deceived that. His greying black hair was tied up in a disheleved bun on top of his head, and the sleeveless t-shirt with a logo of some band Demyx had never heard of was a bit too short for him, exposing a small amount of his lean back…

 “So, what was all that about?” Marluxia’s inquisitive voice emerged next to him. The man had managed to inch closer without Demyx noticing, startling him for good. His new colleague eyed him curiously, as if really seeing him for the first time only then.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Demyx mumbled, painfully aware of the heat creeping on his face.

 “Don’t be so modest”, Marluxia raised a brow, smirking at him knowingly. “What have you done to the boss? I’ve never seen the old bastard acting so odd.”

 That made Demyx to snap out of his disorientated state. He turned to Marluxia so sharply that the other man took a surprised step back. “What have _I_ done? He’s the one who almost smashed me with that hideous bike of his! Well, I did stab him in the eye the next day, but he didn’t have to be such a prick about it…”

 Demyx groaned, burying his reddened face in his hands. His shift hadn’t even started yet and here he was, already making a fool of himself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

 “No need to apologize, I think I got the picture”, Marluxia mused, patting Demyx’s shoulder in a friendly manner. “Besides”, his blue eyes glinted mischievously, making Demyx shudder, "I think working at this blasted place just got a whole lot more interesting.”

 

***

 Opening the creaking door slowly as he could, Demyx tiptoed to the quiet apartment. Instead of being greeted by the pitch-black silence, a small gleam coming from the kitchen cast a dash of light in to the dark. Kicking off his sneakers and making his way further inside, he found Zexion sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the screen of his laptop with numb expression.

 “Zex? Why are you still up?”

 “Oh, Demyx”, Zexion said, looking a bit surprised. “What time is it?” He glanced at his phone, confused frown on his face.

 “Past your bedtime, at least”, Demyx remarked as he went to the fridge. “Don’t you have classes in the morning?” After heating his pizza in microwave, he took a seat in front of his friend.

 “Let’s not talk about it”, Zexion grumbled, scratching the back of his head. He flipped the laptop shut abruptly and turned his attention to Demyx. “How was your first shift?”

 As much as Demyx wanted to reply with _Let’s not talk about it_ as well, he found himself lying right to his best friend’s face. “Fine”, he said a bit too quickly, focusing pointedly on stuffing the mediocre-tasting pizza into his mouth. “Just peachy.”

 “You are a terrible liar, Demyx”, Zexion snorted, none too conviced with Demyx's answer.

 “Why do you always have to notice everything? It’s not fair”, Demyx sighed, not really feeling hungry anymore. Thinking back about the eventful start of his shift, he started to feel a bit nauseous.

 “You didn’t end up in any trouble, didn’t you?” Zexion pronounced carefully, clearly trying to tone down the concern in his voice.

 Demyx knew that his friend had good intentions, but he really wasn’t in the mood for reviewing his disaster of a night. Though imagining the look on Zexion’s face, if he were to enlighten him on rowdy criminals and spiky baseball bats was quite hilarious.

 “I’m fine, Zex, really”, he reassured the other man, swaying his hand nonchalantly. “I’m going to bed now and so should you.”

 After brushing his teeth and changing into a t-shirt and college shorts, hopping between the sheets was an ecstatic experience. Managing to find a comfortable enough position, his phone buzzed soon after, casting a pale light in the dark room. Demyx reached for the device, wondering just which app’s notifications made that specific sound. He swiped the lock screen open. Oh.

 Demyx squinted at the newly received notification. It appeared he got a new match on _The Islander_. It was a local dating app, that according to Zexion’s words was _filled by pathethic morons waiting to disappoint one another_ , which of course had resonated with Demyx. He rarely started any conversations on such platforms though, thinking it at the moment more as a way to simply survey, just what kind of folk these Islanders were. 

 After some minutes browsing on the app, his eyes began to sting. Just when he figured it was best to call it a night, a picture of one terribly familiar, one-eyed man leaning against a black motorbike appeared before his eyes.  
 Demyx had to physically restrain himself from throwing the phone across the room. He clicked the lock screen shut and simply held the phone against his chest for a while; he wasn’t too sure whether he should laugh or cry. Upon managing to gather the remnants of his courage, he dared to open the device again.

 Taking a closer look at the picture, Demyx snorted out loud. It was such a cliché thing for older guys like him to pose with their car or bike in such a ridiculous way, as if thinking they were _The Hottest Shit_. Leaning with his hand on the bike’s seat, and the other one resting against his hip, a telltale smirk flourished on the man’s rough face, his only golden eye seemed to glare straight through the phone’s screen. Tapping to see his profile, Demyx was a bit surprised upon finding out the guy’s age. He would have anticipated him to be a bit more older than forty-three. He rolled his eyes as he read the profile’s summary, where the smartass stated how he would ' _Make you define the word 'fast' all over again.'_

 Demyx muffled a fit of incoming laughter with his hand. He wondered if the guy realized, how one could easily associate his _fastness_ with some different, not entirely flattering aspects...

 And then, something horrible happened. The phone slipped from Demyx's grip, and upon catching the device before it collided with his face, his finger managed to press the picture of a paopu fruit on the right corner of the screen.

 Oh no. no, no, _no!_

 Hastily exiting the app and putting the phone away, he buried his head under the blanket. How he had managed to pull up so much stupid bullshit within such a short amount of time was pretty impressing. He had not only just _liked_ the bastard but _super liked_ him! If the nightmarish situations like this kept occurring, he might just end up suffering from high blood pressure at a rather young age.

 Demyx was in the middle of reasoning with himself, how it was not a good idea to scream out loud from the top of his lungs, when a _ding_ was heard. With shaky hands, he reached for the phone and opened the lock screen with increasing terror.

  _It’s a match!_

 Demyx pressed his face to the pillow almost violently. And then he screamed.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, you guys. Your sweet words really made my last week. Thank you!
> 
> From now on I won't be able to update as fast as before, since I'm busy with the school stuff, but believe me when I say, that I will not abandon this story!
> 
> Also, I feel like my English-skills betrayed me big time somewhere along this chapter, so sorry about that.

* * *

 

 

 Demyx shielded his eyes from the beaming brightness of the early afternoon sun as he squinted at the screen of his phone. Purchasing sunglasses had been on his to-do list for a some time by then, but somehow he always seemed to recall that only after exiting any given store.

 He had agreed to meet up with Axel and his bandmates at a small dock nearby the beach. Demyx was the first one to arrive there, which needless to say, wasn't a very common thing to occur. They were supposed to head to their rehearsal space, that was located on one of the smaller islands surrounding the mainland. Demyx found it rather adorable, how at least every other Islander seemed have a funny little rowboat of their own, in order to travel from an island to another. There were also professional ferries that transported people between the lands, but apparently they tended to be crowded at that time of the day, to the point of it being downright unbearable. Gazing upon the shimmering horizon, Demyx could spot at least a dozen small vehicles, making their way along the tranquil waves.

“Yo, Demyx!”

 Demyx turned around to see Axel and a young black-haired girl in school uniform making their way towards him.

 “Sorry we kept you waiting”, the girl sighed, side-eyeing her tall friend. “Axel here was going to throw a fit unless we didn’t get him some ice cream, just like the solid adult he is.”

 “I didn’t hear you complaining, though”, Axel remarked, looking a bit sheepish. “Here’s one for you too”, he continued, handing Demyx a bright blue ice cream bar of his own. “We didn’t know which flavor you preferred, so we got you our favorite.”

 “Thanks", Demyx took the ice cream gratefully. As the cold frosting touched the tip of his tongue, a confused frown fell on his face, which earned him amused looks from Axel and his friend. “It’s salty”, he tasted it again, making sure his taste buds weren’t making tricks on him. “But sweet?”

 “That’s why it’s called Sea-Salt Ice Cream”, Axel announced proudly, “best damn thing these islands ever invented.”

 Demyx wasn’t yet quite sure if he agreed, but figured he would keep that to himself.

 “Thanks for the advertisement, Axel”, the girl snorted, shoving him playfully with her elbow, “but I think we should get going, or Roxas will really let us hear it.”

 According to the brief summary of their band's history that Axel had enlightened him about, their old vocalist hadn’t been very happy when Axel had gone and replaced their former guitarist and bass-player with two high school seniors. From what Demyx had gathered, _The Nobodies_  used to be something of a phenomenon among the Islands’ underground scene. Of course, now that the members the band used to consist of had changed so radically, there was no telling yet what the future held for them.

 Just like most Iocals that lived outside of the mainland, Axel's friend, Xion, had her very own rowboat waiting at the docks. Demyx and his guitar took the middle seat on the creaky boat, leaving the rowing for Xion and Axel, who were most likely more experienced on the field. It was a good thing, that the band’s instruments were already at their rehearsal space, since Demyx was positive the cranky vehicle would sink from their weight alone as soon as they left the shore. Taking a look at a severe expression that claimed Axel’s face, it seemed the man was thinking something among the same lines. After a one rather audible creak, his distressed frown became even more evident.

 “This time this rotten thing is going down for sure”, he said, clearly trying to mask his growing discomfort with a witty tone.

 “Come on, we have rowed there and back again at least a hundred times”, Xion scoffed. Axel didn't look very convinced, but continued to row nevertheless.

 “Are you alright?” Demyx asked. The sudden lack of color on the man’s face looked anything but healthy.

 “Axel is afraid of water”, Xion said bluntly, receiving a sharp look from her friend sitting at the other end of the boat.

 “I’m not! Just a little suspicious of the creatures that might lurk there.”

 “My bad”, Xion said, overdoing her apologetic tone. “He is afraid of fish.” She rocked back and forth playfully, making the wavering boat let out a miserable groan.

 “I’m going to puke any second now and when I do, I’m aiming at you”, Axel muttered through clenched teeth.

 Demyx observed their bickering with great amusement. Despite the rather unfortunate chain of events that had been occurring around him, (mostly in the form of one specific douche bag, he preferred not to think about) Demyx was very grateful about getting to know such fun and friendly people, like Axel and his friend. Breathing in the fresh and salty ocean air and listening how the sound of calmly rippling waves accompanied Axel and Xion’s quarreling, Demyx couldn’t recall the last time he had felt so content and free of worries.

 When they finally landed on the shore of their destination, Axel practically flew off the boat. The trio made their way to the center of the island, where they took a bus. The environment of this island was considerably more moderate, compared to that of the lively mainland. The buildings were smaller and people fewer, but the same lighthearted and bubbly atmosphere was a distinctive sign that they were still in Destiny Islands. They rode the bus about half an hour, before reaching their stop. Demyx didn’t know what he'd expected, but a peaceful neighborhood consisting of large, brightly colored houses certainly wasn’t it. He couldn’t but wonder to himself, if they had accidentally taken the wrong bus, but from how confidently Axel and Xion made their way onwards, he figured they had to be at the right place.

 “This wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind, when I thought about a rehearsal room belonging to a bunch of underground-rockers.”

 “I know, right?” Axel laughed. “Roxas’ older brother allows us to practice at their garage. He’s a real cool guy like that.”

 Soon they found their way to the yard of a bright-pink wooden house. Axel knocked on the door, and after a while of waiting, a bewildered looking young man holding a small child answered it.

 “Guys? What are you doing here?” The boy asked, adjusting his hold on the wiggling toddler.

 “Well, what do you think, wise guy?” Axel chuckled, making his way past his friend and inside the house casually as if he lived there. “Seems like someone didn’t get memorized how we were supposed to practice today.”

 “Crap, I forgot completely”, the boy exclaimed, hitting his free palm against his forehead. “I’m so sorry, guys, but I promised Sora that I would look after Naminé while they are gone.” He frowned at the happily babbling child in his arms, as her tiny fist collided with his nose.

 “Well, when are they coming back?” Xion asked, her focus keenly on making funny faces at the toddler.

 “Around 7 PM, I guess. Kairi’s away on a business trip, and of course Sora and Riku both have to work overtime at the same day”, Roxas sighed, massaging his forehead with the tip of his fingers. Looking past his friend, he finally noted Demyx’s existence. “You must be the new Saïx. That’s good, even though you haven’t said anything yet, I like you better already.”

 “Thanks?” Demyx laughed, a bit surprised by the blunt statement. “I’m Demyx. Thanks for having me play with you guys.”

 “Roxas”, the boy nodded, a hint of a smile reaching the corner of his lips. “And this is my niece, Naminé. Say hello to Demyx, Nami!” The toddler in his arms exclaimed happily, releasing an impressive amount of drool on her uncle’s shirt.

 Demyx and Xion followed Roxas deeper into the house, where Axel had already made himself at home. After kicking off his sneakers, the man had adjusted himself on the living-room couch, in all his lanky glory. Stepping to the room, Demyx’s eyes landed on the set of framed photographs on top of a mahogany bureau. In the middle of them, there was a picture of a radiantly smiling, red-haired woman with a sleeping baby in her arms. The two men at her side looked happy and proud. Demyx figured the brown-haired, friendly looking guy must have been Roxas’ brother, the resemblance between them being rather obvious.

 “How about you wake me up after you’re done with nannying? I kinda feel like taking a nap”, Axel yawned, stretching his bony arms over his head.

 “Not fair!” Xion exclaimed from an armchair nearby, throwing a cushion at him. “What kind of friend does that?”

 “A tired one”, Axel snorted, hurling two more right back at her. The situation soon converted into an intense combat of them launching pillows at each other with a rapid tempo.

 “Guys”, Roxas piped in. Considering his bored tone, it was likely, that confrontations like this one had occurred more than once or twice before. “Would you please calm down? Kairi’s going to kill me if anything happens to the new glass cabinet.”

 His pleas went to the deaf ears, however. If anything, the battle seemed to get even more intsense. Naminé, who had been observing the occurring pillow war for a while, soon lost her interest to the display, her attention turning to Demyx, who sat on the floor next to Roxas and her. Noticing the eyes on him, Demyx smiled at the wide-eyed toddler.

“Hello, there!”

 Crawling from her uncle’s arms, Naminé wobbled herself into a standing position and started to make her way towards Demyx, offering him the plastic toy cup in her hand.

 “Is this for me? Oh, you shouldn’t have”, Demyx humored her, exaggerating just how delighted he was about receiving his imaginary drink. Bringing the cup near to his lips, he pretended to take a sip from it. The toddler made happy burbling sounds at him, reaching her chubby arms towards the cup she just granted Demyx. “Thanks, Naminé! That was a one fine cup of coffee”, Demyx smiled, giving the toy back to her.

 “You seem to be very good with kids, Demyx”, Roxas remarked, after a while of observing the interaction between Demyx and his niece. “Naminé has taken a liking to you already, although she tends to be a bit shy around new people.”

 “Really?” Demyx rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish about receiving such kind words so unexpectedly. “Well, I did hold a music club for little kids on the weekends back in Traverse Town.” Upon meeting the little Naminé, he realized how much he missed being around children.

 “It shows”, said Roxas, regarding Demyx with newly found appreciation.

 After a while, Axel and Xion agreed on a ceasefire and descended to sit on the rug as well. Suddenly disregarding her imaginary tea party, Naminé teetered towards the man sprawled on the floor, shoving her tiny arms into the heap of his fiery red hair.

“Look”, Axel laughed. “Even she thinks my hair is cool.”

 “That, or she tries to suggest you go and see a barber”, Xion snorted, causing about a collective fit of laughter.

 Even though their plans to practice for the upcoming Friday got delayed, Demyx was glad he had agreed to get together with Axel and his band. Zexion being busy with work and college studies, Demyx didn’t really have anyone else to spend his time with. When he had agreed to replace the band's former vocalist, he hadn’t expected to also make new friends in such a short time.

 Around 5 PM, a car pulling at the yard sounded outside. Just like Demyx noted earlier, when he saw the framed picture of Naminé and her parents, Sora looked pretty much like a reflection of Roxas. On the contrary, where Roxas appeared thoughtful to the point of being reserved, Sora seemed chatty and lighthearted. The guy couldn’t have been older than Demyx, in fact he was fairly certain, how he might have been even a bit younger than him. For someone so young, he certainly seemed to have it all figured out, like having a steady job and a beautiful family, living in their own house.

 As soon as Demyx recognized the tiny sting somewhere inside him as envy, he suppressed it hastily, not really daring to inspect the strange feeling too closely.

 Released from their duties as babysitters, The Nobodies were finally free to practice for the concert. Back when Demyx was a guitarist in a band that consisted of his old friends from high school, the tune of the music they played was best described as an incoherent cacophony, that aimed to cause the audience a massive headache and possibly a noise-induced hearing loss. Axel’s band specialized to a more sophisticated sound, that was a likeable mixture of laid-back folk and old-schoolish punk rock. Though he had prepared for the practice and listened to the songs the band had produced so far, he felt a bit self-conscious about singing in front of his new friends. At times he had found himself worrying, if Axel would decide upon hearing him, that in the end he wasn't quite what the band had been looking for.

 As Axel began to set the rhythm for the first song and Xion played the opening melody, something within Demyx switched. The sudden burst of confidence in him reached from somewhere deep inside of him, emerging out of his lungs in a form of such powerful vocals, that it took even himself by the surprise.

 The gang was so immersed in the music, that neither one of them realized, how it was already starting to get dark outside. They parted with high spirits, all of them positive how they would absolutely nail the approaching concert. After seeing Xion making it back to home safely, the remaining duo took a ferry back to the mainland. Axel seemed rather relieved to be on board of a proper ship, instead of Xion’s incalculable rowboat.

 “You totally rocked today”, Axel mused cheerfully, “I can’t wait to see the look on Saïx’s face, when he hears just how neat our brand-new vocalist sounds.”

 “You guys weren’t half bad either. Truth to be told, I was a bit worried you’d boot me right off the band as soon as I opened my mouth”, Demyx laughed. Under all the wittiness and sassy remarks, Axel had turned out to be a truly good guy, one that Demyx was glad to consider his friend.

 After a while of content silence, Axel’s peaceful expression suddenly faltered. Demyx could almost feel the nervous energy that gathered around the man. Glancing at Demyxs’s direction, worry and guilt were clear in his eyes.

 “I need to ask you something.”

 “Sure, go ahead”, Demyx answered, pointedly keeping his eyes on the dark horizon. He had a dreadful feeling, that he knew what Axel’s question concerned.

 “What’s the deal with you and Xigbar?”

 Demyx felt the drumming of his heart increasing rapidly, as if it was going to break free from his chest and into the pitch-black ocean at any given second. Nowadays it seemed, that whenever he was having a good time, he could count on the One-Eyed Asshole to ruin the mood one way or another. He considered about lying, but decided it would be unwise. After all, Axel was still his foreman. Taking a deep breath, Demyx prepared to tell all about his unfortunate encounters with their boss. Except for the part, where he had accidentally liked him on a dating app, and it turned out the bastard liked him back. Whether it was an accident on his behalf, he wouldn’t know. Though, the way he'd been avoiding Demyx like he had a plague, certainly gave him reason to think so.

 After explaining the whole thing, Demyx felt completely drained.

 Axel seemed to be deep in thought, for what felt like the longest of time. Finally, he released an impressed whistle. “That’s pretty intense, man.”

 “Yeah. At this point, I feel like I must have done something very horrible in my last life”, Demyx muttered, crossing his arms on the railing and leaning his chin against them. After a moment of hesitation, he continued, “What made you ask such a question?”

 “Well, he asked me to fire you.”

 “He what!” Demyx exclaimed. This was just ridiculous. First the bastard agrees to give him a chance, and then turns around and delegates such task to his right hand man. Not a very charming way to treat your Islander-match!

 “Of course, I refused. You are more than fitting for the job and the customers like you. I’m sure the old fart will eventually see reason as well”, Axel hmphed. It looked like just thinking about their douche of a boss was pissing him off. Demyx was glad he wasn’t the only one.

 “If he hates me so much, he could at least say it to my face.” The bitter lump at the bottom of his throat felt weird and inconvenient.

 “I got to hand it to you, it looks like you have seriously managed to get under his skin.” Axel scratched the back of his neck, an incredulous look on his face. “You know, I don’t think he really even hates you. It’s almost like… he’s scared of you?” The thought seemed to amuse him to some extent.

 “He better be, since I’m going to tell him a few things next time I see him.”

 

***

 Demyx peeked behind the curtain, examining the steadily growing clusters of people gathering in front of the small stage. Zexion was pretty easy one to detect from the crowd, since he had taken Lexaeus there with him. The man was practically towering above every single person in the room. Upon noting his friend's sullen face, Demyx chuckled against his hand. Poor guy couldn’t look more out of the place among the rowdy crowd of tipsy party people.

 “Oh man, look at all these people”, he whispered excitedly to his bandmates, whose heads popped to take a look at the audience as well.

 “We’re so going to rock this place!” Pumping her fist in the air, Xion barely missed Axel’s chin that hovered above her head.

 “Take it easy, guys”, Axel laughed after they retreated to the safety of their backstage. “We wouldn’t want you to spend all that energy before we hit the stage.”

 “You know what?" Roxas said, aiming them with his phone’s camera. "My senses are telling me it’s about selfie o’clock.”

 “Such coincidence, mine too”, Xion laughed, grabbing her guitar and striking a dramatic pose.

 “Sheesh, teenagers these days.” Axel rolled his eyes at the two youngsters. “When me and Demyx were your age, we went outside to play hopscotch.”

 “Speak for yourself”, Demyx chuckled, already aboard the selfie-train. “We did nothing that lame in Traverse Town.”

 Being the tallest one, the role of the photographer fell upon Axel. Gathering close to one another, the gang started to pose collectively. After dozens of pictures later Axel got fed up with the selfie-rumba. “One of them is bound to be Heartstagram quality”, he remarked, ignoring Roxas’ laments about how big he thought his head looked in some of the pictures.

 When the time to get up on the stage finally struck, Demyx was surprised to note just how calm he was feeling. He had known Axel and his friends for barely two weeks, but singing and playing alongside them already felt like coming home for him. As they stepped on the darkened stage, a silence fell immediately over the crowd. Axel set the rhythm with his drumsticks, and the first song took off, colorful spotlights flashing to illuminate the stage. Adrenaline rushing wild in his veins, an exhilarating sensation of happiness vibrated throughout Demyx’s body, making his head feel high and light-weighted, as he sang and let his fingers fly among the strings of his guitar. But no matter how he savored the sweet feeling of being surrounded by music and an applauding crowd, he couldn’t help but seek for the man with a golden eye.

 During their last song, his heart did a tumble. Finally landing his gaze upon the man, who his eyes had been looking for from the beginning of the show, he wondered why, just _why_ he'd been so eager to find out if he had come to see them play? The man seemed to be completely disregarding the performance. He had retreated to sit at a table, that was a bit farther from the area where the audience had gathered, and from the look of it, was in the middle of explaining something to the brawny guy back from the gym, who simply nodded along.

 Demyx wasn’t sure what got in to him just then, but seeing the man not even glancing at their direction made his blood boil. Honoring the last riffs of their last song, he decided to surrender himself completely at the mercy of the music and his intoxicated senses, as he threw the sweaty tank-top over his head and poured the remaining water from the plastic bottle over his bare upper body. After Axel hit the finishing rhythms, the music ceased, and the crowd went completely wild.

 Exiting the stage, as applauds and cheers followed them closely behind, Demyx felt shivers running down his spine. Daring to take a final look over his shoulder, his hunch was proven correct; it was clear he had held the man’s attention for a some time until then. This time, there was no sign of the smug grin or intimidating frown on his face. Upon being caught staring, he seemed to even flinch a little, but refused to look away.

 Demyx held his gaze all the way until disappearing behind the curtain.

 

***

 He just knew, how choosing to stay was a mistake, but did that make Demyx to second-guess the decision? It appeared not.

 After Xion and Roxas left for home, Axel had convinced him to celebrate the successful night over some drinks. Few polite fans approached them, to tell how awesome they thought the new sound of The Nobodies was, but aside from that, they were pretty much left unbothered. Zexion and Lexaeus also joined them soon. Demyx didn’t have to take but a one look at Zexion, to know that his friend was dead wasted; being surrounded by such large crowd of people had clearly been too much for him. Though he trusted Lexaeus to take his friend safely back to their apartment, Demyx decided to call it a night as well and go home with Zexion. But before that, he really needed to pay a visit to the restroom.

 Considering all the shifts Demyx had done at The Oblivion, one would've thought he'd managed to figure the place out at least to some extent, but after a while of drifting along the plain white hallways, Demyx realized soon, how he didn’t have a slightest clue about where he was. The damn place was unnecessarily huge, with all the abandoned parts the building held making it all the more confusing. He fathomed, how he must have been going in completely wrong direction, since the people seemed to get fewer by every stride he took. He was about to turn around and head back where he came from, when he noticed a lonely room at the one rather unnoticeable corner, with the distinctive picture of a stick figure on the entrance.

 Releasing a sigh of relief, Demyx made his way towards the room. He was about to reach for the door handle, but halted with the movement as a muffled voice carried behind the door.

  _“Yeah, yeah, quit the bitchin’, would you? I told you, everything is under control.”_

 Demyx didn’t have to think twice about who the voice belonged to. Though a part of his brain sounded the alarm, he couldn’t fight the urge to stick around and keep listening.

_“I’ll shoot their third eye open faster than you can ramble that good for nothing bullshit of yours. Why don’t you go and tell that son of a-“_

 The door flung open without a warning, nearly sending Demyx to fall on his ass. His menace of an arch enemy emerged from the room, holding a phone against his ear, a stunned expression upon his face. “Talk to you later, but not too soon, ok?” He put the device into the pocket of his jacket and quickly fixed a scornful smirk to his face.

 “Can't I even take a piss without you lurking nearby?” He scoffed, stepping closer to bewildered Demyx. “Pretty naughty of you, eavesdropping your boss like that.”

 “I was not- I mean”, Demyx stuttered, certain his heart would fail any moment now. “I should go.”

 Turning on his heel, he prepared to run for it, but a firm grip on his wrist stopped him. Yanking him forward, the man brought him right back under his looming gaze. Demyx didn’t know what his feelings were doing anymore. Try as he might, he couldn’t deny the sparks radiating through every inch of his body, as he felt the callused touch against his skin.

 “Whatever am I to do with you?”

 “Maybe you should punish me." Once again, Demyx found his mouth running faster than his thoughts. As mortified as he felt about the obscene turn his mind had taken, he wasn’t going to chicken out anymore.

 The man had a nerve to burst laughing right at his face. “I’m not doing shit, unless I feel like it”, he sneered, releasing Demyx’s hand. “And I definitely don’t feel like messing around with drunk lil’ squirts.”

 That’s what he said, but Demyx didn’t see him turning around and walking away just yet.

 Choosing to just go for it and see what happens, Demyx grabbed the man from his shoulders and smashed their lips together unceremoniously. He didn’t have to wait too long, until he felt the man responding, his earlier claims ringing rather hollow as his hands found their way on Demyx’s hips. Demyx couldn’t help a breathy moan escaping him, when his back was pushed abruptly against the wall and an eager mouth surged to ravage his lips with series of demanding kisses. Feeling lightheaded and ridiculously aroused, the disappointment was a nasty one, as the relentless devouring suddenly halted with no warning. Daring to open his eyes, he found a man with a very frustrated frown on his rugged face staring him down. 

 “That enough to make you behave the rest of the night?”

 _No,_ Demyx wanted to say, but as if by the snap of fingers, the spell was suddenly gone. He came in to a horrifying realization, how his sense of time had flown out the window at the very second things started to go in unexpected directions. If his friends weren’t worried sick about him by now, they were certainly crossed about how long he had kept them waiting.

 “Now I really need to go”, he blurted, still a bit winded by everything that just happened. Fleeing from the man’s arms, Demyx started to jog his way back to where he came from. “Don’t you even think about getting away with this one!” He yelled behind his shoulder.

 “Wouldn’t dream of it”, an amused voice hollered back, before Demyx disappeared around the corner.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's amazing, how my writers-block just magically vanishes whenever I should study!
> 
> I don't want to spoil the story too badly, but just a heads up: Starting from this chapter, things start to get pretty steamy!

* * *

 

 

 Bare skin under Xigbar's grip felt burning hot, sending fiery sparks all over his body. Between the heavy, shivering breaths, the man in his arms released a needy sigh next to his ear. His hands held onto his shoulders like his life depended on them. Trembling fingertips dug almost painfully into his sweat-slicked back, as Xigbar started to push harder and faster inside the writhing man below him, who was already so far gone, he could do nothing except hold on for dear life and make sweet little noises against the hollow of his neck.

 

_“Xigbar, I-I’m going to-“_

 

 The alarm sounded off, and Xigbar was wide awake. This was getting a bit ridiculous, to be fair.

 Lately, it had been a rare occurrence, if he happened to dream about something else than screwing the living daylights out of the dumbass squirt. He guessed it was a good thing to get reminded once in a while, how he still had some intelligent life down there, but waking up every morning with a rock-hard boner was pretty exhausting in the long run. It was as if he were a damn teenager all over again!  
 He let out a frustrated groan, combing his tousled hair back from his face. Well, at least this wouldn’t take too long, since he already felt like blowing at any given second. Reaching his hand down to the rim of his pants, he tried to recall the dream. The way the man’s laborous panting blew against his ear, just how good and tight he felt around him…

 And then his phone started buzzing, this time informing him of an incoming call.

 “Oh, fuck off”, Xigbar hissed through clenched teeth. Reaching to grasp the device, his desires to get off went up in smoke, as soon as he saw who was calling him. Tapping to answer the phone, he didn’t have the time to utter a simple _hello,_ before furious nagging attacked his ear.

  _“You absolute doofus! I’ve been calling you for at least ten minutes now”,_ Vexen’s exasperated voice yelled through from other end of the line. _“Come and open this door at once!”_

 “Relax, I’m onto it”, Xigbar groaned. Still feeling slightly frustrated by how he'd been so rudely interrupted two times in a row, he hopped off the bed. Tying his hair back and placing the eye-patch on, Xigbar started to make his way downstairs. Half-way through going down the spiraling steps, he could already sense the imminent vibes radiating through the front door.

 “It was about time”, Vexen huffed, rushing past Xigbar as soon as he opened the door for him. “I knew you were half-blind, but apparently you have some problems with hearing too.” He headed straight to the kitchen and started to rattle around Xigbar’s cupboards, like it was the most natural thing for him to do.

 “Ringing the doorbell didn’t occur to you?” Xigbar chuckled, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

 In the midst of loading the coffee machine, Vexen granted him a very pointed glare over his shoulder. “You can guess how many times I did just that.”

 Xigbar rolled his eye at his friend’s snappy attitude. Vexen, who was his old friend back from his college days in Radiant Garden, had a habit of coming to dwell at his place, every time he and his partner ended up bickering over some petty thing or another. Of course, Xigbar wouldn’t refuse to help out his long-time friend, but at certain point Vexen’s presence tended to start feeling like he was suddenly living with his mother all over again. Taking in the man’s sharp movements and occasional grumbling under his breath, as he fussed around the kitchen, he couldn’t help the urge to tease him a little.

 “Flowerboy sure knows how to ruffle your feathers. Makes me a bit jealous, actually.”

 “You’d think that someone so obsessed with his looks would also pay some mind, when the house starts to look like a waste pit”, Vexen sighed, placing a mug of ink-black coffee and scrambled eggs before Xigbar and taking a seat as well.

 “Want me to kick his ass?” Xigbar offered, a hint of hopefulness in his tone. Vexen and his pink-haired nuisance were a mystery that boggled his mind to no end; it had been a case of loathing and snappy comments from the very first sight, and yet they had attracted each other, like there was some strange magnetism between them.

 “Well, you could try and make few of his upcoming shifts a bit hellish”, Vexen shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, taking a long sip of his coffee.

 “Gotcha”, Xigbar mused. “See now what I mean? Those twenty-somethings are nothing but walking headaches.”

 “He’s thirty”, Vexen pointed his fork towards Xigbar, as if to underline the remark. “Besides”, he stretched the following words lazily, suddenly sounding way too smug for Xigbar’s liking, “I’m hearing that yours is a bit younger than that."

 The comment was so out of the blue, that Xigbar almost drowned in his coffee. He tried to resist the incoming fit of coughs after inhaling a fair amount of his drink, but failed miserably.

 “So, it is true.” A devious glint in Vexen’s eyes was disturbingly similar to that of Marluxia’s.

 “And how the hell do you know about that?” Xigbar blurted. His mask of wittiness was cracking brutally. “Wait, you don’t have to answer.”

 To say that Marluxia had a passion for gossiping would have been an understatement. The pink-haired bastard would probably die without his daily fix of scandals.

 “Good grief, Xigbar”, Vexen said, starting to appear a bit weirded out about his friend’s peculiar behavior. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

 “As if”, Xigbar countered sharply, “it’s nothing but some harmless fun.”

 “If you say so”, Vexen chuckled. Apparently sensing it was best to cut his friend some slack, he didn’t push the subject any further. After finishing their late breakfast, Vexen tidied up their dishes and started loading them into the dishwasher.

 “Ever considered a career change? You would make an exceptional housekeeper”, Xigbar said, after a while of examining the man’s passive-aggressive fussing.

 “If you paid me enough, I might even consider it”, Vexen huffed, grabbing his briefcase by the kitchen chair. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to head back to the uni. Those morons won’t be teaching themselves…”

 Xigbar didn’t really note the other man's lamenting anymore. His attention had shifted instantly to his buzzing phone, after he took a look to see who had texted him. The second Vexen was out the door, Xigbar tapped the message open. A weird, tingly sensation rushed through his body, as his mind digested the words before his eye. If he were to really give it any closer thought, he would have probably come into a conclusion, about how much of a pathetic loser he was nowadays. Grinning at your phone like a madman, upon receiving texts from annoying squirts was embarrassing to say the least.

 

***

 Though the Island’s climate tended to stay warm and serene thorough the year, after a sunny September, the rest of the autumn had been grey and rainy. Thunderstorms that emerged from the ocean had been raging for a few weeks by the end of the October. As Xigbar hopped on the saddle of his motorcycle, a distant grumbling made the ground below tremble. Flashes of lightning flickered in the horizon, throwing stark-white light upon the blackened sky. By the time he pulled in front of the façade of The Oblivion, the clouds above broke into a downpour. Cursing under his breath, Xigbar brought his bike under the roof next to the main entrance and hurried inside.

 Striding his way through the corridor, he halted just before entering the main hall, as the sound of someone singing reached his ears.

 Swaying the mop in his hands while pretending it was a microphone, the squirt seemed to be completely absorbed in the music playing on his headphones. His long legs moved along the soaked floor smoothly. Occasionally dipping the tip of the mop in a bucket of soapy water, he splashed it back against the floor with dramatic motions. Though Xigbar found the occurring spectacle absolutely amusing, he couldn’t deny the way his breath hitched and how dry his mouth suddenly felt, as he took in just how fine of a sight the squirt was, swinging his hips to the beat of the music in his skin-tight jeans.

 A sly smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, Xigbar started to slowly advance the clueless guy. Sneaking right behind his back, he didn’t hesitate before grasping him by the waist. He had anticipated, that the squirt would be at least a little startled by his surprise attack, but instead he found the man responding to his touch by leaning his back against him. A very content sigh escaped his mouth, as if Xigbar’s unannounced hands on him were just what he'd been waiting for.

 Detaching one of his headphones, Xigbar leaned to whisper in his ear.

  _“Boo!”_

 “Oh, somebody help me”, the man around his arms laughed.

 “You could’ve at least pretended to be a bit surprised”, Xigbar chuckled, letting his fingers to skitter under the other man’s t-shirt.

 “I just did”, Demyx hummed. Resting his head back on Xigbar’s shoulder, he allowed his body to melt against him.

 “Wasn’t very convincing”, Xigbar murmured to the side of his neck. “How about you ditch that mop, so I can try and surprise you for good this time?”

 Turning around in his arms, a playful grin flourished on Demyx’s face. “And here I thought you came to help me out with the cleaning.” He tried to appear all sassy about the situation, but Xigbar didn’t miss the breathy gasp at the end of his statement, as he tightened the grip on his waist.

 “As if.”

 The mop was left abandoned on the soaked floor, as Demyx brought his arms around Xigbar’s neck and reached up to capture his lips.

 They had been going along with this strange, intriguing game of theirs ever since he'd caught the kid eavesdropping behind the restroom’s door. Even though Xigbar had found himself surprisingly thrilled about the turn of events back then, he'd also been greatly alarmed. He should have known better, than to deal with such risky phone calls publicly like that. At times he wondered, whether the squirt had heard too much. He dared to hope not. Any sane person would be more or less shaken, after getting an earful of such sinister words, and weirdly enough, the kid didn’t seem to be afraid at all. The amount of willingness and passion, that he was so ready to display during these little sessions, was plenty enough for Xigbar to lose his mind.

 Bending his head down for every kiss shared between them was starting to make his upper-back all sore and cranky, so he hoisted the squirt off the ground. Based on the surprised gasp, and how eagerly his legs rose to wrap around Xigbar’s middle, Xigbar fathomed he must have done something right. He pushed the man’s back flush against the wall, seizing his lips immediately in a bruising kiss.

 “Xigbar”, Demyx’s breathless words managed against his lips. “I need to tell you something.”

 “I’m kinda busy at the moment”, Xigbar muttered, bringing his mouth downwards to plant little pecks on Demyx’s neck.

 “But I- _ah!”_ A yelp flew off his mouth, as the gentle pecks evolved into less gentle nipping. “Do that again!”

 “Roger that.” Xigbar was about to obey the order, when he suddenly felt someone biting his ankle, and not in the sexy way. Looking down, he found a small, black creature nipping at his foot. “What the fuck is that!” Releasing Demyx back on his feet, Xigbar attempted to kick the creature off of him.

 “The thing I needed to tell you about”, Demyx let out a nervous laugh. “It’s just a shadow. They are-“

 “I know what a shadow is, ok”, Xigbar snapped, yanking the creature by its pointy antennas. “But what the hell is it doing at my club?”

 “No, don’t hurt her!” Demyx hurried to protest. Grabbing Xigbar by the arm, he willed the man to cease his grip on the small heartless.

 “In case you failed to notice, I’m the one being hurt here”, Xigbar mumbled bitterly, allowing Demyx to detach the thing off his leg.

 “Stop being dramatic, she barely left a mark on you”, Demyx said, holding the shadow protectively in his arms, as if to shelter it from Xigbar’s wrath. “I found her just sitting there on the front-porch. She seemed to be hungry, so I figured I’d give her some crackers.” The squirt seemed to address his words more to the creature than Xigbar.

 “She’s hungry, alright. For human-flesh!” Xigbar sneered. Dumb kids these days seemed to think that the heartless were merely an equivalent to cute and exotic pets. He had never in his life cared for the foul creatures. City-shadows, such as this one, were a big issue in the Islands nowadays. Those blasted vermins were good for nothing, except for causing accidents and smearing the streets with their shit.

 “Don’t be like that”, Demyx said, not sounding happy at all. “I think she might be expecting babies. We can’t just abandon her.”

 “Oh, great. The more the merrier, huh?” Xigbar rolled his eye, certain his patience would betray soon. He stepped closer to Demyx, leering down on the blank-faced creature in his arms. “I’m not playing around. Now, put the thing back where it came from.”

 “My, my! What is it, that I’m seeing?” A voice materialized out of thin air, startling both Xigbar and Demyx for good. A properly soaked Marluxia strolled to the room, his usually on-point hairdo dripping wet and flattened against his scalp. “Are you two lovebirds fighting?”

 “Well, look who showed up”, Xigbar was quick to respond, “It seems like someone didn’t get a ride today. Did you swim all the way here?"

 “Very funny, old man”, Marluxia snarled at him, his nose up high as he strode past him. “Hi, Demyx”, he greeted the other man, pointedly exaggerating his delighted tone. “Cute shadow. Is it yours?”

 “No, she was just visiting”, Demyx muttered.

 “Oh, that’s too bad. I’ve always wanted one of these”, Marluxia spoke, his attention fully on the heartless Demyx was holding. “Can I pet her?” He asked, not bothering to wait for a permission, before doing just that. After the man was done with cooing at the creature, he excused himself and continued his journey towards the locker rooms, to save the disaster that was his drooping hair.

 “So”, Demyx mumbled as soon as they were alone again. “It’s time for you to go, I guess”, he spoke to the oblivious creature.

 Xigbar resisted the urge to snort out loud at the melodramatic act. He might have been good at hiding it, but the squirt could be a sly one, when he wanted to. If he thought, that those sad green eyes and woeful words were enough to change Xigbar’s mind… he was absolutely right.

 As he started to make his way past him, Xigbar seized his arm gently. “Wait.”

 He pondered for a moment about his next words, sullenly avoiding the hopeful eyes fixed on him. He was not usually one to put up with some persistent lil’ squirt ordering him around, but it appeared he was losing his touch. “I guess it can stay for the night.”

 “Really?” Demyx's face lightened instantly.

 “I’m not finished”, Xigbar was quick to continue. “You need to promise, that it will stay in the backroom for your shift, and then you dump it somewhere, where I don’t have to look at it.”

 “Don’t worry, I think I’m going to take care of her, at least until she gives birth”, Demyx announced easily. “I’m sure Zexion won’t mind.”

 Xigbar wasn’t, but he decided not to voice that out loud. “Good luck with that, I guess”, he mused. Taking a look at his watch, he was a tad astonished how fast the time had passed. The club would open up within thirty minutes. “Well, everything seems to be in order around here”, he said, as if his whole purpose for being there had been about something entirely else than fooling around with a cute bartender.

 “I’m outta here.”

 “Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye before that?”

 Despite the nature of their earlier rendezvous, something about the concept made Xigbar to halt completely. Sure, it was easy to fool around, but a one simple kiss? Just a thought made his insides feel all weird. “Not while you’re holding that thing.”

 Shaking his head, Demyx laughed, apparently finding his simple plea somewhat funny. He ended up humoring him after all, releasing the small shadow to the ground.

 The kiss they shared was strangely tender. At first the whole thing was making Xigbar feel like fleeing, but Demyx’s reassuring arms on his shoulders soon made him melt into the embrace. Xigbar brought his hand to cup the younger man’s face, deepening the kiss as he did so. The quiet sigh that left Demyx’s lips caused a weird, fluttery sensations to rush over his whole being. When it all was starting to feel way too overwhelming for Xigbar's liking, Demyx released the grip on his shoulders, simply staring at him for a while.

 “Uh”, he started, a hint of red reaching his cheeks. “I’ll see you around?”

 “Not if I see you first”, Xigbar found himself blurting. It was a horrifyingly lame thing to say, but it seemed he couldn’t help himself.

 “Just get out of here”, Demyx groaned, pushing him playfully away.

 The raging rainstorm outside appeared to be on a break, when Xigbar stepped off the building. The distant roaming of thunder was still audible, but now it seemed to carry from even further away. Xigbar settled on the saddle of his bike. He kicked the engine running, and started to speed his way back home, all the while his wildly pounding heart felt like it would soon hammer its way out of his chest.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest thing I've ever written in English, and I feel like my vocabulary is starting to run out. It's so frustrating!
> 
> Heads up for some sexy times and mildish violence!

* * *

 

 

 Demyx pushed open the balcony door and breathed in the fresh air. Angry thunderstorms that had been encircling the mainland with menacing roars and ferociously flickering flashes of lightning had mostly ceased with their rage. The rainy season continued its reign, however, and the sun didn’t seem too keen on staying among the weeping clouds. When Demyx had moved to the Destiny Islands, he had been more than ready to open up a new page in his life at the beautiful, sunny tropic, where the eternal summer thrived all year around. It was his third month living in the Islands, and while he definitely did not find himself missing his old hometown, he had to admit how relieving of a change he thought the slightly cooler weather was, especially after the excruciating period of getting toasted by the ruthlessly blazing sun.

 Demyx set the laundry basket down and began to drape freshly washed fabrics on the clothesline, while humming a soft melody to himself. He couldn’t quite pinpoint a specific name for the curious sensations, that nowadays seemed to claim his mind and body entirely, but they sure made him want to do some weird stuff, like shout from the rooftops and burst into fits of silly little dancing at random times. The butterflies occupying his stomach tended to break into series of chaotic fluttering with no warning beforehand, at times causing Demyx to ponder, whether he should eat the fridge empty or lay down on the floor and roll around while screeching incoherently. Okay, if he were to be completely honest, he was fairly sure what all this was about.

 His heart was on a freefall and it had no parachute.

 After setting the rest of the laundry to hang, Demyx strolled to the kitchen. The whole apartment was tidy and shiny, due to his earlier burst of giddy energy, that he'd craved to let out before exploding from the peculiar feeling. Sometimes he really wished his heart wouldn’t be so visible on his sleeve.

 Demyx was a bad liar, and even worse at keeping his emotions in check. Zexion had been very suspicious about the origins of his sudden enthusiasm towards domestic chores, and his roommate hadn’t needed to interrogate him for too long, before Demyx broke down and confessed everything about his unlikely affair with one smartass of a man, who also happened to be his boss. Aware of how much his fussing got on Demyx’s nerves at times, his friend had clearly tried not to interfere with his life-choices too nosily, ever since becoming his roommate. However, after finding out about what was going on between him and Xigbar, the news had horrified Zexion well enough that he'd let Demyx to know rather bluntly, just how bad of an idea he thought it was to get involved with such a shady man.

 In a way Demyx could sympathize with Zexion’s anguish. Merely two months back, Demyx too had pretty much loathed Xigbar. It sure as hell was quite curious, how his opinion of the man had completely managed to turn upside down so drastically. Despite the heart-shaped glasses glued to his eyes, a part of Demyx knew for certain, how the rumors about Xigbar’s connections to the underworld were not completely without foundation. It was not too hard to conclude, that the man was probably involved with some dubious stuff, indeed. Demyx wasn't a thorough moron, but when it came to the One-Eyed Asshole, he found himself alarmingly ready to disregard these kinds of possibilities in a heartbeat.

 If he were a smarter guy, he'd probably realize, how the idea of getting involved with such dangerous man shouldn’t be this enticing to him.

 Usually, Demyx would sit patiently through whatever Zexion was scolding him about, but something inside him had twisted wickedly, upon hearing his friend talking about Xigbar in such spiteful way. So, Demyx had stood up to him. His determination had taken Zexion by surprise rather visibly.

 “ _I guess this was something to be expected”,_ Zexion had sighed eventually. " _Of_ _course you’d fall for the first shady asshole to almost got you killed.”_

 Coming from Zexion, this would probably be closest to acceptance Demyx would ever get from him on the matter. He was well aware about that. And yet, thinking that his best friend despised Xigbar with such burning passion, even though he hadn’t even properly met the man, was almost enough to bring his head back from the clouds. But only almost.

 “Hey, Darcy”, Demyx greeted the drowsy shadow, that appeared around the corner. “How was your sleep?” He chitchatted to the creature, as he filled her bowl with some canned meat.

 The small heartless had been residing at their apartment for a week by then. When Demyx had brought Darcy (as he had begun to call her) to their place, Zexion had been almost as delighted about the shadow’s presence as Xigbar. Demyx thought it was pretty unfair how they both were so quick to judge her. Aside from chewing Xigbar’s leg that one time, she had been all around a very good girl. When Darcy wasn’t eating or sleeping, she usually followed closely behind him. Whenever Demyx wasn’t home, it tended to whine and scratch at the front door, though, which had soon started to drive Zexion absolutely crazy.

 For a wild heartless like her, Darcy had adapted to the domestic lifestyle quite well, in Demyx’s opinion at least. But sadly enough, it was Zexion’s apartment too, and as it turned out, his friend wasn’t that thrilled about the idea of a pet shadow, that would also give birth soon. He had insisted Demyx to take her to the heartless-shelter, and in the end Demyx had given in easily enough, although he had his suspicions about Zexion’s newly discovered allergy for shadows. Even though Demyx was sad about having to part with his new friend, he also realized, that in the end it was probably the most reasonable thing to do.

 Demyx settled at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and an energy bar, throwing his feet upon the table and leaning back in his chair. A small, sad smile tugged at his lips, as he examined the shadow devouring her lunch with ravenous pace.

 The door creaking open sounded from the hallway, and soon Zexion entered the room. Walking to the cupboards, he took a mug and poured himself some coffee. “The Mobster Grandpa is waiting for you outside”, he announced bluntly. “Could you tell him to lurk a bit farther from the front door? His prowling is making people nervous.”

 “I told you to stop calling him that”, Demyx muttered. Zexion might have begrudgingly tolerated him hanging around with Xigbar, but that didn’t guarantee he would stop insulting the man at any chance he got. “You're just jealous about not getting to ride on a cool motorbike.”

 “Cool?” Zexion snorted, rising an unimpressed brow at him, as he took a sip of his coffee. “What happened to the _tacky monstrosity_?”

 “Well, times change”, Demyx let out an annoyed huff. Zexion was visibly in his _D_ _isrespect Xigbar_ mood and Demyx was glad he had something else to do than sit at home and get properly roasted. “Come here, girl”, he turned his attention to the heartless hanging about at his feet. Demyx lifted Darcy from the ground and petted her short black fur gently. The small creature purred happily, nuzzling her head against Demyx’s shirt. Holding one of her tiny paws, Demyx waved it slightly at Zexion’s direction. “Darcy says goodbye to you.”

 “So long, sis”, Zexion said, not really bothering to lift his bored gaze from the screen of his phone.

 Demyx helped the heartless to settle inside his bag, so that only her head popped outside to observe the surrounding world. Before going out the door, he took a look at his appearance from a mirror on the hallway’s wall. Demyx tended to be a bit lazy when it came to shopping for new clothes, and though he found himself suddenly a bit self-conscious, about how he seemed to be dressed in that same exact outfit every time he met with Xigbar, he quickly decided that the white t-shirt and a pair of ripped skinny jeans would do just fine. Based on the worn-out jeans and band-shirts he often wore, Demyx concluded Xigbar wasn’t much of a fashionista himself.

 “I’m off! Don’t bother waiting me back too soon!”

 “If you’re not home by midnight, I will call the police!” Zexion’s voice shouted back from the kitchen, just before Demyx closed the door behind him.

 Shaking his head at his friend’s absurd remark, he couldn’t but laugh a little. Though Zexion’s sulking was starting to get a bit old, it was hard to not find his saltiness a tad hilarious.

 As he skipped the stairs all the way down, his insides felt like they were doing cartwheels from the excitement. He stepped outside and was greeted by a humid, cloudy afternoon.

 “Took you a while.”

 Demyx turned his head at the direction of the familiar voice. Xigbar leaned against the wall right next to the main entrance, taking a drag of his half-burnt cigarette. Regarding his appearance, Demyx had to admit how Zexion might have had a point here. He could see, how a one-eyed man with huge scar across his face and a big-ass motorbike at his side could make someone a bit nervous. The sight of the rough-looking man just leaning there in his black leather jacket, a cigarette hanging from his lips awoke some rather different kind of sensations in Demyx. And knowing that the man was there for him? Just thinking about it made his head reel.

 “You could have called to let me know you're here already, you know?” Demyx mused. Stepping closer to the man, so he was right under his calculating eye, Demyx lifted his head up to return the intense gaze.

 “My bad. Guess I was having too much fun unnerving the shit outta your neighbors”, Xigbar chuckled, dropping the cigarette on the ground and treading it out with the bottom of his shoe.

 “About that”, Demyx started, an amused grin upon his face suggesting how he wasn’t being too serious, “Zexion says you need to stop creeping too close to the front door. Apparently you're scaring some people.”

 A roguish smirk spread on Xigbar’s face. His hands landed slyly on Demyx’s waist and squeezed him without a warning. “Am I scaring you?”

 “Horrendously”, Demyx swooned, overdoing the dramatic act. Clasping his hands on Xigbar’s cheeks, he willed the man to bend down his head. Just as their lips were about to touch, Demyx felt something climbing up on his shoulder. Soon enough Darcy’s curious head popped between them, interrupting the incipient moment.

 “I swear that thing has some major grudges against me”, Xigbar grunted, making a shooing motion with his hand at the creature, who simply stared at him with round, yellow eyes and tilted her head slightly.

 “Maybe she wants a kiss too”, Demyx laughed, scooping the shadow in his arms. “Don’t you, girl?”

 It was truly a bit uncalled for, how mean both Xigbar and Zexion were still being to her, even though they would most likely never have to see her again. People of Destiny Islands in general appeared to harbor very negative view of the heartless. Almost every coffee shop and shopping center forbade bringing even domesticated shadows there. Demyx guessed, how the locals’ hostile attitude towards the creatures had probably something to do with that incident few years ago, when some old lady had brought her Blue Rhapsody at the grocery store. The heartless had went absolutely rampant and froze the whole place up so thoroughly, that they needed to close the store for good, due to the never-ending winter the creature had cast here.

 “I ain’t kissing that thing”, Xigbar frowned. He looked appalled at the mere thought.

 “Suit yourself”, Demyx shrugged, assisting the shadow to crawl back inside his bag.

 It wasn’t the first time Demyx had rode on the back of Xigbar’s motorbike, but the experience of wrapping his arms around the man’s middle and pressing his face against the fabric of his jacket, was just as thrilling as it had been back then. Considering his enthusiasm, it was a bit ironic, how he used to condemn the bike merely as a ridiculous tool to boost some middle-aged geezer’s ego. Now that Demyx had started to regard the man through some different lenses, there was no denying how appealing of an image Xigbar riding his flashy motorbike was to him.  
 Burying his face flush to the man’s back, Demyx inhaled his lungs full of his scent. Vibrations that the rumbling of the speeding vehicle sent along his thighs, as well as the alluring smell of leather and cigarettes made his head spin. After a one rather rocky bump on the road, Demyx barely managed to prevent a breathy gasp escaping his mouth. He felt for certain, how his face was reddening fiercely. If it wasn't for his skin-tight jeans, Xigbar would have surely gotten to feel the rock-hard proof of Demyx’s growing excitement right against his lower back.

 By the time they pulled at the parking lot of the heartless-shelter, Demyx had, for the most part, succeeded to pull himself together. Taking the helmet off, he felt slightly paranoid that Xigbar would probably need to take but a one look at his face, in order to conclude just what had been going on inside his head during the ride. Considering the smug smirk on the man’s face, as Demyx handed his helmet to him, it was quite obvious, actually.

 “I take it you enjoyed the ride?” Xigbar chuckled, rising an amused brow at Demyx’s winded composition.

 “Shut up”, Demyx blurted quickly, pushing the helmet abruptly against Xigbar’s chest. He itched to get back at him with a witty comment, but it seemed his capability to form coherent sentences was beyond his grasp at the moment. With an exasperated huff, he started to stride at the front door, Xigbar’s delighted laughter following closely behind.

 As they entered the shelter, a brown-haired woman with gentle face appeared behind the counter to greet them. After examining Darcy, she was convinced Demyx had taken a very good care of the heartless. Noting just how fond the shadow seemed to be of him, she double-checked, whether Demyx was sure he didn’t wish to adopt her. With a heavy heart, Demyx declined the offer. Aside Zexion being allergic to her, he was positive it was best for Darcy and her unborn cubs to stay here at the shelter, where she could befriend other heartless and have such kind and professional person to take care of her.

 “You guys take all the time you need to say your goodbyes”, the woman (she had introduced herself as Aerith) said, a warm smile on her face, as she scratched Darcy behind her antennas. The small heartless purred at the gentle touch. “I’m sure she will miss you dearly.”

 They brought Darcy to the shelter’s backyard, where countless heartless of different species roamed about without a care in the world. The yard was a large, fenced area, full of bushy trees with exotic flowers and fruits. At the feet of a huge palm-tree, there was a very sympathetic miniature playground, where bunch of frustratingly cute heartless took turns gliding down the trunk of an elephant-shaped slide. Immediately upon taking a look at her new, vivacious surroundings, Darcy started earnestly to wiggle from Demyx’s grasp. As Demyx released her gently to the ground, the shadow took off instantly, making her way to the calmly rippling creek where bunch of other shadows had gathered to drink. Taking a seat at the bench below an orange tree, Demyx and Xigbar settled to observe Darcy’s interaction with her new friends.

 “She looks happy”, Demyx thought out loud, not really noticing he had voiced the sentiment, until Xigbar granted him an ambiguous glance from the corner of his eye.

 “Well, yeah”, he shrugged, crossing his hands behind the back of his neck. “Those fuckers love to wreak havoc in packs.”

 Demyx chuckled at the sullen comment. Luxord hadn’t been wrong, when he had declared the man as a one annoying pain in the arse. The quirky bastard seemed to take hardly anything serious, and he also lacked some serious skills in the field of consideration. One could say, how there was absolutely nothing likeable about him. And yet, by every snarky remark and crooked grin, his grasp on Demyx’s heart seemed to only tighten.

 “Watch your language”, Demyx said, shoving at his shoulder playfully. “This is their home, after all.”

 After a while of light-hearted bickering and several fits of raucous laughter, Aerith entered the yard with two huge sacks of heartless-food. Demyx was immediately onboard feeding the cute creatures, rushing excitedly to pick other one of the sacks. Xigbar, though being a bit hesitant at first, agreed to join him in the end. Aerith had trusted them to feed the group of Plants hanging nearby the creek. Demyx had never before seen a heartless of such breed. He knew for a fact, that the one with yellow-red petals was a Fire Plant and the white one a Blizzard Plant, but that was about it. According to their names, these heartless were most likely capable of causing some potent chaos, if they wished so.

 Grabbing a handful of pastel-colored snacks from the sack, Demyx neared the black one with reddish petals.

 “Don’t”, an elusive hiss sounded behind his back all of a sudden.

 Demyx blinked, a surprised frown emerging upon his brow. He glanced behind his shoulder. Xigbar stood there, stiff as a board. His hand was reached slightly at Demyx’s direction, implying his readiness to snatch him from the harm’s way, should the things escalate. It was rather visible, how he wished nothing more than to be as far away from the creatures as possible.

 “Don’t what?” Lifting a questioning brow, a teasing smile played on Demyx’s lips.

 “Touch that thing”, Xigbar snapped quickly. “I’m pretty sure those bastards are poisonous.”

 This was some peculiar behavior from the man. Demyx suppressed the urge to laugh that woke in him, upon taking a good look at Xigbar’s distressed state. His alerted demeanor reminded Demyx of a cornered predator, who couldn’t quite decide whether it should charge or flee. Poor man was clearly trying his hardest to not act up on the latter one. A dash of warmth settled at the bottom of Demyx’s stomach. Was Xigbar… worried about him?

 “I’m sure Aerith wouldn’t have trusted us to feed it, if there was something to be afraid of”, he answered merrily, shifting his attention back to the flowery creatures, that examined the snack-sack with increasing eagerness. Gently bending downwards, so he was at the creature’s eye-level, Demyx began to scatter the tiny bits on the ground below. “Come on, Xiggy”, he exclaimed with a gleeful laugh, beyond delighted as he observed the flower-like creatures munching away the colorful food, “you wouldn’t want to miss all the fun!”

 “No offense, squirt, but your idea of fun seems a bit weird to me."

 Demyx wouldn’t know it, since the heartless had gained his full attention, but though Xigbar’s voice had a trademark tone of sassiness in it, the smile upon his face was far from being scornful.

 

***

 “I’m really going to miss her”, Demyx sighed, taking a final look of the building’s façade, before placing the helmet to his head. “I hope she’ll be happy there.”

 “I bet she’s gonna have a downright blast, rampaging around with her new gang of fiends”, Xigbar mused, as he settled at the bike’s saddle. The uptightness of his mien had visibly eased, after they had exited the shelter.

 Seeing how vibrant and cozy the place was, Demyx found himself agreeing. Surrounded by her own kin, as well as such gentle people taking care of her, Demyx was reassured Darcy would get to live a happy life there. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

 Getting to spend time among cute, peculiar heartless had rendered Demyx to lose his track of time completely. It was already well past 6 PM, and the wary gleam of setting sun, that dared to peek behind the curtain of grey clouds, painted the sky with shades of pink and orange. Although the sky had kept its faucets closed for the whole day, the air felt tense and heavy from the unleashed rain.

 “Still up for a little adventure?” Xigbar glanced at him over his shoulder, before kicking the bike’s engine on. A crooked grin playing on his lips made Demyx feel as if he were falling from somewhere very high.

 Well, he did still have some time, until Zexion would have a melt down and send authorities after them.

 Tying his arms tightly around Xigbar’s waist, he pressed his face closely against the man’s back. Demyx closed his eyes and let the scent of him conquer all his senses. Rush of excitement soared loudly through his veins.

 “Always.”

 

 The city-lights started to blur behind their backs, as they rode along the oceanside road. All of a sudden, the wind started to rise rapidly. When they finally neared the hazy lights of the port nearby a desolated beach, Demyx had to clutch on to Xigbar even more firmly. It was a fortunate thing, that the man had such potent abs, or else Demyx just might have managed to squeeze the living breath out of him. He hadn’t questioned the nature of this _adventure_  Xigbar intended to take him on, but he couldn’t but wonder, just what the man had in his mind. The windy shore on a verge of rainstorm didn’t seem that tempting to him.

 “This seems hardly like a good time for strolling down the beach!” Demyx yelled through the howling wind.

 “You think my idea of an adventure is that lame?” Xigbar exclaimed cheerfully. The wind blew at his tousled hair, throwing the escaped heaps of it into a messy cloud upon his head. The mane of black and grey flying wildly about his face and a roguish grin on his lips made him to strike an impossibly gorgeous figure. “Think again.”

 Grasping Demyx by the hand, Xigbar led them closer to the edge of the harbor, where some fancy looking boats floated upon the blackened water. Still a bit unsure about what the other man was up to, Demyx crossed his arms and rose a questioning brow at him, as they stopped before a particularly voluminous pearl-white yacht.

 “We’re going to break into some rich bastard’s boat, aren’t we?”

 Throwing his head back, Xigbar barked out a loud laughter. “I hate to ruin your fun, but I’m afraid there’s no need for felony." A triumphant smirk claimed his lips, as he pulled a pair of keys from his breast pocket. “Since the bastard is me.”

 _“Are you shitting me right now!”_ Demyx screeched loud enough, that the whole environment was left echoing his excited voice. He knew Xigbar was a man of many unsolved mysteries, but a fricking _yacht?_ Bubbling excitement whirling about his stomach mixed in with stirring curiosity. Just who was this guy, really?

 “I shit you not”, Xigbar confirmed. Demyx’s excited reaction made his rugged face to brighten up considerably. A wide, self-satisfied smile was accompanied by hint of red that reached his cheekbones. It was not too hard to conclude, how he was just as thrilled about the dawning adventure as his younger companion. Demyx found his barely restrained bashfulness ridiculously endearing.

 Demyx’s heart pounded with such furious pace, he was sure it would soon break free from his sternum. As if the boat hadn’t been impressing enough from the outside, he was completely at loss with words, when they stepped onboard the vehicle. As Xigbar clicked the key-remote, a line of small lanterns lit up at the back of the boat, where a spacious open area fused with living-room like space that led further into vehicle’s inner rooms. Everything was insanely neat and fancy, and Demyx couldn’t but let out an astonished laugh at the brashness of it all. Flat-screen televisions and enormous champagne cabinets were one thing, but perhaps the most ridiculously flashy trait on the yacht was the enormous hot tub at the middle of the open hang-out area.

 After Xigbar was finished touring him around the vehicle, they settled at one of the rooms inside. Demyx bounced cheerily to sit on the edge of a mellow waterbed, as Xigbar went for the cabinets to fetch them something to drink. Absently examining the man’s turned back as he poured the foaming drinks, Demyx gathered up a brief summary of the situation in his head:

 There he was, drinking champagne onboard a luxurious yacht with this ruggedly handsome, mysterious man, who also happened to be filthy-rich. When he put it like that, it sounded more like a plot-line from some trashy romance novel than real life.

 After several glasses of champagne and a while of just talking about everything and nothing at the same time, a wave of content drowsiness washed over Demyx. He let his body to slack among the fringed cushions upon the bouncy mattress. A bubbly laughter flew easily off his mouth, sending rashes of dizzying giddiness through his whole being.

 “So, what’s our course, Captain?” Demyx hummed, stretching his body out on the mattress, a mischievous gleam in his aquamarine eyes.

 “Wouldn’t you like to find out”, Xigbar chuckled, his attention keenly upon the other man’s laid out form. His strained voice and heavy breaths didn’t go amiss for Demyx.

 “I would, obviously. That’s why I asked”, Demyx snorted, rolling his eyes at the lame comeback. Lengthening his arms to frame his head, the hem of his shirt lifted to expose the light trail of hair below his navel. A dash of self-consciousness knocked at his mind’s door, but Demyx was determined to not let it in. He brought his eyes boldly to meet Xigbar’s eager gaze. “Why don’t you come here and fill me in on your secrets?”

 Now it was Xigbar’s turn to snort at him. “I just might, since you asked so nicely.”

 A surprised gasp flew from Demyx’s mouth, as Xigbar pretty much launched himself at him. The abrupt motion caused their foreheads to collide, which resulted them both bursting to a heartfelt laughter. Demyx found it just about impossible to calm down. Every time he started to think he got it all out of his system, he would have to take but a look at Xigbar’s face, and the hysterics were on again. Xigbar was seemingly suffering from the same condition, the rumbling of his hearty laugh made Demyx feel very warm all of a sudden.

 “Sorry about that”, Xigbar huffed a wavering breath, wiping the wetness from the corner of his eye. His voice was hoarse from all the laughing. “That wasn’t too sexy of me, wasn’t it?”

 “I think it was plenty sexy”, Demyx remarked breathily.

 A smoldering heat rose from somewhere deep inside him, as he brought his arms on Xigbar’s shoulders. One of the things Demyx found fascinating, yet greatly terrifying about Xigbar, was the man’s ability to alter the atmosphere of any situation so radically. Just seconds ago Demyx had been dying from laughter with him, and now, under the glint of the intense golden gaze, he felt his blood boiling from raw want. Searching the man’s face closely, Demyx’s hand itched to caress the line of the darkened scar on his face, but he halted the urge. Maybe it wasn’t time to demonstrate such intimate things just yet.

 Rising his head forward, Demyx reached to rake his teeth along the side of Xigbar’s pointy ear, stopping to plant a sharp bite at the tip of it.

  _“Fuck”,_  strong body snapping forward on reflex, Xigbar hissed out a heavy groan. The strained tone of his gruff voice sent rush of heat all around Demyx’s shuddering body.

 Visibly inspired by the other man's audacity, Xigbar started to hastily pry himself from his jacket and shirt with yanking motions, throwing the pieces of clothing carelessly somewhere in the room. Demyx followed his example and tossed the clammy t-shirt off over his head. After there was no fabric left to separate their upper bodies, Xigbar dived in to capture his mouth with bruising force.  
 Demyx allowed the man to take control of the fiery kiss - letting his teeth bite at his lower lip, and his demanding tongue to roam in his mouth. Xigbar’s firm grip on his hips tightened, as he pinned Demyx brutishly fast against the elastic mattress. A low moan that left Demyx’s throat was muffled by the unyielding kisses. Despite his dazed state, Demyx was able to find some humor in his own hopelessness; some kissing and a pair of strong hands roughing him a bit were apparently enough for driving him batshit crazy nowadays.

 The pressure inside his pants throbbed painfully, as Xigbar’s palms slid upwards his thighs, stopping just at the edge of his jeans. Breaking free from the kiss, an unsure frown shadowed his lust-tinted face.

 “Is this“, he inhaled a shaky breath, “Is this what you want?”

  _“Hell yes”_ , Demyx choked out impatiently. If he hadn’t been already on the verge of crawling out of his skin with need, he most certainly was now. This gruff, wicked man was blunt and unpredictable, but there was also fair amount of unexpected tenderness behind his intimidating mask. _The mask he dared to let down for him._ The notion made Demyx’s pulsing erection brush tightly against the front of his jeans. Never before had he felt so safe and so turned on at the same time with anyone else. “Holy shit, get on with it already!”

 Demyx didn’t have to tell that twice to him. Xigbar opened the buttons of his jeans with impatient fingers and pulled his zipper down hastily. If Demyx had foreseen how the rest of the evening would escalate in such way, he probably wouldn’t have picked such tight jeans to wear. It was quite an ordeal for Xigbar to peel him out of them, since the fabric was pretty much glued to Demyx’s sweaty skin at that point.

 “We’re dying from blue balls before getting you out of these”, Xigbar heaved a distressed groan, annoyedly combing the stray strands of his hair back from his face. “Mind if I just tear ‘em apart?”

 A shiver ran down Demyx’s spine. The mental image of Xigbar just blatantly ripping his clothes off of him was oddly tempting.

 It was a lucky thing on behalf of Demyx’s jeans, how they were able to wiggle him out of them in the end. As soon as Xigbar flung the offending piece of clothing to the ground, Demyx’s hands were quick to roam to the border of his pants. They came off pleasingly smoothly, which was indeed a relieving occurrence, after the trial that was prying Demyx free from the jean-prison.  
 For a good while they did nothing but stared at each other. Demyx swallowed down a shaky breath, reaching his hand to sail along Xigbar’s strong chest. Bending his head so that their noses were about to touch, Xigbar opened his mouth to say something, but a loud growl that sounded from Demyx’s stomach interrupted him. Demyx resisted the urge to hide his furiously flushing face. _Oh, god. Talk about a mood killer!_

 “Should we take a meal break?” An amused smirk tugged at Xigbar’s lips.

 “We’re doing no such thing”, Demyx let out a distressed protest. Food could wait - right now he craved something entirely different. To underline his statement, Demyx let his hands slid down to squeeze at Xigbar’s bottom.

 “Glad we’re on a same track”, Xigbar groaned. His callused hands sailed along Demyx’s sides, landing on his hipbones. He seemed to hesitate a moment, question clear on his face as his fingertips lingered at the edge of Demyx's underpants. “Sure you're fine with this?”

 Demyx’s first impulse was to scoff and roll his eyes at the silly question, that only delayed the main event, but upon taking a look at the man’s face, his breath caught in his throat. He had held that golden gaze countless of times before, and had become to savor the intense rush that Xigbar’s unyielding eye on him rose within his body. Now, the man regarded him with a look that signaled, how he was just as much on the verge of losing control as Demyx. The black in his eye radically widened, and his brow furrowed intently, it was obvious his self-restrain was hanging by a thread. A shudder ran over Demyx’s trembling body. _Oh, this is going to be good._

 “More than fine”, Demyx breathed out.

 When Xigbar’s hands duck under his pants and started to slide them slowly off him, Demyx was already so hard it was downright agonizing. He reached his hands along Xigbar’s back and tugged at the rim of his underpants. Catching the signal, he didn’t hesitate helping Demyx to peel them off his body. A sharp gasp left both of their mouths, as their newly freed erections collided. Demyx let his hands travel up Xigbar’s arms and to his shoulders. He tried to focus his dazed eyes on Xigbar’s face above him. Heavy, feverish breaths heaved the man's body, as his heated gaze raked shamelessly over Demyx’s laid out form below him.

 Bracing his other hand on the mattress next to Demyx’s head, Xigbar reached between them, wrapping their pulsing cocks in his fist.

 Throwing his head back, Demyx let out a strangled moan. His hips bucked up unintelligibly to respond to the touch; it was as if someone had smeared his body and soul with gasoline and thrown a match to go with it.

 Xigbar’s callused grip around their stone-hard cocks started to pump up and down, making blindingly bright stars to fall behind Demyx’s eyes. As the pace soon got faster, Demyx was beyond caring about the mortifying swarm of moans that kept emerging from his mouth by every hastening stroke, as he thrashed his head around and gripped at the silky sheets below him. Something about being in the hands of this strange, mesmerizing man, unable to do nothing but writhe and tremble, was deliciously irresistible.  
 A low growl rumbled from the back of Xigbar’s throat, the rhythm of his pumping fist picking up a frantic, uneven pace. Demyx yielded himself fully to the mercy of sparkling jolts of pleasure, arching his body in a tight bow, he wasn’t ashamed of the desperate whine that left his mouth. Daring to open his hazy eyes, Demyx found Xigbar's unwavering gaze flush upon his writhing form.

 “You should see yourself right now”, Xigbar grunted. He bent down to claim Demyx’s mouth with heated kiss, all tongue and teeth, as he ground his hips hard against Demyx’s groin with powerful, erratic movements. “You’re fucking gorgeous, you know that?”

 And just like that, a stark-white tidal wave of satisfaction swarmed over Demyx. He came hard and fast, his throbbing cock leaking smears of cum all over his sweaty belly. Going completely slack against the bouncy mattress, his spent-out body laid sprawled on the sheets. He let Xigbar to ride him through the orgasm, his firm grip did not halt as he milked every last drop from his over-sensitive cock. Demyx winced, his eyes stinging from the overwhelming sensation. He wasn’t sure how much his worn-out body could take anymore, at the same time praying for the moment to never end.

 With a low, shuddering growl and few profound jerks of his hips, Xigbar’s angrily pulsing cock cummed, shooting strings of white between their stained bodies. His limp body collapsed over Demyx, as if someone had just shot him dead. Demyx welcomed the weight of him with trembly, open arms. His fingers traveled to comb Xigbar’s sweaty scalp and his disheveled hair, as the man buried his face against his shoulder.

 “Hmmm”, Demyx hummed, his mind blissfully tranquil and his body satisfyingly heavy.

 “How're you feeling?” Xigbar’s hoarse voice sounded next to his ear.

 Lifting his head to meet Demyx’s eyes, Xigbar was a radiant sight with his untamed silvery-black hair cascading over his face. The lingering furrow upon his brow eased, Demyx had never seen him look so serene before. The softness of his gaze made his throat feel sore and sight blurry by the yet unshed tears. Demyx had a dawning suspicion, how the overwhelming sensation claiming him wasn't merely the after-sex euphoria talking. His heart ached way too strongly for that to be the case. _Oh, great you wuss! Crying won’t make this weird at all_.

 “I-“, Demyx gulped, desperately trying to will the sentimental emotions down. Luckily, his stomach decided to remind him about its ongoing lack of nutrition just then, and sounded about an angry rumble. “I’m starving.”

 

 ***

The radio on the bar counter was set on an outright sinfully tasteless channel, that seemed to play nothing but the throwaway one-hit-wonders, that everyone secretly loved but were too embarrassed to admit so. For a good quarter, all Demyx’s favorite quilty-pleasure songs played in a row, lifting his already high spirits through the roof. As the chorus of a particularly syrupy power-ballad went off, Demyx burst to sing out loud along the silly lyrics, letting the washcloth in his hand to skit along the counter’s sticky surface with vivid movements.

 If his head wasn’t sailing so high above the clouds, he would most likely find himself concerned, how it was probably not that healthy for his heart to break into such reckless races so easily, every time his thoughts even strayed to Xigbar. One would think he'd gotten used to the bastard’s existence at that point, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. His body still tended to react at the mere thought of the man so strongly, it was pretty pathetic, really. There was no denying anymore, how completely screwed he was. Considering his unlucky past in the field of romantic affairs, he should have been alarmed, or at least a bit wary. Fooling around with people he didn’t care about used to come easy for him, but once he would notice himself catching feelings, he would freak out and flee like the coward he was.

 And then Xigbar had crashed into his life with his noisy motorbike and swept Demyx off his feet.

 Prying his phone from his back-pocket as soon as he felt it buzz, he flicked the lock screen open, skin itching from anticipation. His stomach dropped a bit, as the newly received message turned out to be just some stupid commercial about the approaching Paopu Day sales. Paopu Day was a silly local tradition, when people were supposed to go out with their special someone, and spend shit-ton of money on stupid things they didn’t really need. Despite his tendency to sentimentality, Demyx was convinced the whole thing was nothing except a capitalist conspiracy dressed in a trench coat.

 The not-so-secret rendezvous he and Xigbar shared at The Oblivion every time Demyx was on opening-shift, had become something of a regular habit for them. He wasn’t proud about being such mooning imbecile, (as Zexion had described him) but the last twenty-four hours without seeing the man were slowly driving him mad with yearning. He dreaded the idea, that if Xigbar didn’t hurry it up soon, he would have ten hours of pure torturous frustration ahead of him.

 Tapping at his phone with furious speed, Demyx gave up the last strands of his dignity, as he spammed the man, demanding him to _hurry-the-fuck-up_ for at least the fifth time within ten minutes –

 

  _What is taking you so long??? I’m dying of boredom :(((_

 

 Just when Demyx tapped to send the message, an unmistakable creaking of the main door echoed from the hallway. Demyx let out a relieved sigh. _Fucking finally!_ His first instinct was to sprint across the room and just outright jump the man, but a better idea dawned at him just then. A mischievous smirk spread on his face, as a lamp lit up above his head. Cackling under his breath, Demyx quickly tiptoed his way to the corner next to the hallway’s entrance and braced himself against the wall, ready to startle the living shit out of the bastard for keeping him waiting so long.

 He should have noted it by the time the footsteps started to echo down the hallway, how there were definitely more than one person making their way towards the main hall, but by the time he registered that, it was already too late.

 On the midway of jumping from his hiding-place while shouting _“BOO!”_ from the top of his lungs, Demyx realized the error of his ways only then. It was not Xigbar’s unimpressed smirk that greeted him, but instead before him loomed three huge and nasty-looking men, who all stared Demyx with pure astonishment on their faces. Demyx felt like sinking under the harsh, observing eyes, that measured him up and down. He had a dooming inkling, about how this was exactly the kind of situation the backroom’s baseball bat was for.

 “Who the hell is that?” An enormous bald man in the middle snarled.

 “Is it him?” The one on the right, who didn’t seem too intelligent, piped in.

 The third one on the left reached to slap the other man over the head. “How dull can you be?” He jeered. “Look at it, it’s only some stupid brat!”

 Demyx played with the thought of just sneaking away, while the intruders were still focused on quarreling, but his feet wouldn’t even budge. Even if he dared to try and run for it, he was positive his legs would betray him and turn in to a jelly instantly upon taking but a one step.

 “Cut that shit out, you fucktards!” The bald man snapped at the other two. A startled yelp left Demyx’s mouth, as the man grabbed him firmly by the arm and yanked him forward. Demyx didn’t have the time to protest nor beg for his dear life, as the cold, hard metal was pressed firmly between his eyes. It all felt so surreal, that the pure mindlessness of the situation almost defeated the raw, numbing fear that overcame his whole being.

 “Listen good, brat”, the man hissed dangerously under his breath, twisting the head of the gun painfully against Demyx’s skin. “Tell us where the one-eyed motherfucker is, unless you want me to blow your fucking brain out.”

 It was as if Demyx’s tongue was suddenly too big for his mouth, completely preventing him from putting words together. His whole body was rigidly stiff, as all coherent thought abandoned his mind. He felt like his soul had floated off his body to somewhere high above, where it observed the occurring incident with silent horror. Opening and closing his mouth unintelligibly, he realized in the midst of the barely hindered hysteria, how he didn’t even know what he was going to say. _This is it,_ his mind screamed at him, _this is how I’m going to die._

 This was no dream, but real life, and it was happening right now. He pinched his eyes shut, and he thought about Zexion; how he wished nothing more, than to hear his friend scolding him for his irresponsibility one more time. He thought about all the new friends he had made in the Islands, how Darcy’s soft fur felt among his fingers...

 And he thought about Xigbar. _Oh god, Xigbar._ The man would arrive soon and be the one to discover the exploded remnants of Demyx’s brain scattering the place.

 “Am I late for the party?” As if Demyx’s thoughts had summoned him, Xigbar stepped to the room. His blank face was calm and unreadable, as he approached them.

 “Not a step forward, or this guy will have it!” The man holding the gun against Demyx’s forehead snarled, weirdly unnerved about Xigbar’s arrival, even though he was the one possessing a weapon. He made a small nodding gesture, rendering his two companions to grasp Xigbar by his arms, and forcing him to bend down on his knees. Shoving Demyx abruptly off his grasp, Xigbar now held his undivided attention. Nearing the restricted man, he stopped right before him. He leered down on Xigbar, a sheer revulsion twisting his dreadful face. “I’m gonna fucking slaughter you, for what you did to the boss.”

 “Sorry to disappoint, but I have no idea who you amateurs are”, Xigbar shrugged, sounding way too arrogant for someone caught in such tricky situation.

 That seemed to hit close enough home for the man. His whole face grew dangerously red in an instant. Lifting up the gun in his hand, he struck the back of it sharply against Xigbar’s face. “Take a good look at this amateur, _you old fuck_ ”, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, the man bared his teeth in mindless grin, as he crouched down and pressed the gun’s head tight against Xigbar’s eye-patch, “since he’s going to be the last thing you’ll ever see!"

 To that point Demyx had found himself unable to do nothing but stare with mute horror, while it all happened. Watching the man pressing the head of the gun against Xigbar’s precious face, he could imagine it so vividly – the gun would go off, and the sound of it stay echoing inside Demyx’s head forever. And along that thought, something within him clicked. It was as if his body was moving on an auto-pilot, as he hurried to grab a metallic stool at the table nearby, and practically flew towards the man holding the gun at Xigbar’s face. Neither one of them had the time to react, when Demyx lifted the heavy chair above his head and struck the man across his head with all the might his violently trembling body could muster.

 Spitting out ranges of furious curse-words, the man stood up surprisingly quickly and spun around to see Demyx’s bewildered form still holding the chair in his frantically shaking hands. From the corner of his eye, Demyx managed to catch a glimpse of Xigbar. All the color had fled the man’s face, as he watched Demyx with barely restrained terror tearing at his features.

 Several things occurred soon after.

 The very moment the bald man flicked the gun’s head at Demyx, Xigbar managed to break free from the grasp of the two men. His movements were insanely smooth and deadly fast, as he tackled the gunman to the ground. Twisting the man’s enormous arm violently over his head, Xigbar seized the weapon easily from his hand. He forced the gun’s head mercilessly inside the man’s mouth, a wicked grin distorting his bruised face, as he weighed down his prey.

 “If you dimwitted bitches dare to even breathe at this direction again", he spoke with cold-blooded calmness, bending his head closer the man’s face, whose eyes had widened from sheer terror, "I’m gonna fuck you up in ways, you wouldn’t be able to come up in your worst nightmares.”

 Releasing the man from his grasp, Xigbar handled the gun in his hand with undoubtedly experienced manner. With no hint of hesitation, he took his sweet time letting the gun’s aim linger on each thug’s head. It appeared he had made himself perfectly clear – even though the men kept throwing him dirty glares over their shoulders all the way, they didn’t try anything funny, as they retreated back to the main door and out of the building.

 “What the hell happened here!” Marluxia’s shocked voice soon sounded from the hallway. Upon appearing to the main hall, he rushed immediately to their side. “Those guys didn’t look too nice. Are you two alright?”

 Xigbar paid no mind to the man. His unpredictable leer was fully focused on Demyx. If he weren’t so thoroughly shaken about everything that just happened, the foreign look that suddenly descended upon Xigbar’s features would have stung in particularly nasty way.

 “You”, Xigbar spat, voice hard on the edges. With few brisk strides, he closed the distance between them. His harsh glare held nothing but overflowing anger, as he loomed over Demyx. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

 Demyx flinched a few surprised steps back, hurt and confusion dawning on his numb features. “I- I wanted to help you."

“Well I was in no need of your help”, Xigbar sneered back. “The situation was perfectly under my control, but you just had to meddle, didn’t you?”

 “What are you saying?” Demyx let out a strangled laugh. Maybe he hadn’t died, but he felt with dooming certainty, how he was about to lose the remnants of his sanity for good. “Xigbar, you were almost-“

 “I should've known it was a mistake to let you stay here”, Xigbar interrupted him, clearly done with caring what Demyx had to say. The mask was back on his face, and it wasn’t going to break anymore. The realization made Demyx’s whole being weak with helpless panic.

 “I don’t get it.” Demyx buried his face in his hands, the bright spotlights made his eyes hurt. He felt like throwing up.

 “Do I have to spell it out for you?” Xigbar spat out, his needlessly cruel voice showed no mercy.

 “I think that’s quite enough, Xigbar”, Marluxia hissed, glaring the man sharply. His reassuring hand was steady on Demyx’s shoulder.

 “You’re fired. Now, get out of here”, Xigbar continued, completely disregarding the pink-haired man’s presence.

 “Stop it.” Demyx snapped his head up suddenly. Tears and snot streamed freely down his pained face. As he wrenched himself free from Marluxia’s comforting touch, his whole body shook with rage and fear and despair and all the other horrible, overwhelming emotions that rushed so ruthlessly over him. He wanted to reach out for Xigbar, to grab the stupid idiot from his shoulders and shake, until he would come back to his senses. “Stop saying things like that!”

 “ _Get the hell out of my sight!”_

 Someone could have forced a dull blade right through his ribcage and twisted, and still it wouldn’t be nothing compared to this. His head on the verge of exploding from everything that just happened, from all the hurtful words thrown at him, Demyx turned on his heel and ran without looking back.

 

 ***

Zexion stared at the screen of his laptop, feeling more desperate by every passing minute. He had been writing and deleting and deleting and writing for good two hours by then. And here he was, once again staring at the blank office page. The urge to fling the damn thing as well as his whole academic career straight into sun was a strong one, but upon figuring how it was more reasonable to just take a deep breath and brew some coffee instead, he merely settled upon slamming the screen down with a vigorous thud. He wasn’t usually like this, and he most certainly didn’t tend to pull all-nighters in order to finish a college project, but it seemed his best friend’s presence had begun to rub off on him.

 Releasing a long, heavy sigh, Zexion pinched the bridge of his nose. He had done it before, and he could do it again.

 What was a severe sleep deprivation, when your paper was due in few hours?

 Gathering the feeble fragments of his motivation, Zexion was about to take the blank page on a round two, when someone rang the doorbell. And then they rang it again. And again.

 “Do you mind?!” Zexion yelled with overflowing frustration. If it was the guy next door again, who had drank himself shitfaced after his girlfriend kicked him out the hundredth time, he was going to strangle the poor bastard.

 As Zexion flew the door open, Demyx’s slackened body emerged behind it instead. The wildly swaying man was about to crash right into Zexion's feet, but he was quick enough to catch him before that.

 “For crying out loud, Demyx!” Zexion exclaimed, trying to steady the wobbling man to stand with his own feet. The stinging odor of alcohol around him was unmistakable. “Shouldn’t you be at work?!”

 Reaching his forefinger to boop at Zexion’s nose, Demyx looked him dead in the eye. “I got fired”, he whispered, like it was the most thrilling secret ever. Then he snorted, bursting into muffled fit of uncontrollable laughing.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems there's going to be more angst than I originally planned. Oops!
> 
> This kind of thing seems to happen pretty often when I try to write something funny. What can I say? I'm a melodramatic gay and projecting that aspect shamelessly into this story now :^)

* * *

 

 

 “Zex, I think I’m about to die.”

 Doubling over from a violent wave of nausea, Demyx dived his head into the toilet. He gagged loudly, bracing every muscle in his shuddering body in order to barf away the nasty sensation. Some hours ago, disappearing into downtown’s night to get himself black-out wasted had seemed like the only way to put the madness that had occurred at The Oblivion in perspective. The comforting daze hadn’t been enough to keep the ache away for too long, but drinking until he felt sick to the core at least gave him something else to think, besides the stark-white pain that shocked thorough his whole being as his mind was stuck replaying the dreadful chain of events all over again.

 “Tell me something new.” Zexion scowled at him as he held the strands of Demyx’s mullet at the back of his neck, so they wouldn’t fall into his mouth. “That’s what you get for dallying around with a dangerous hooligan”, he blurted out plainly. It was evident, how he hadn’t thought his words through, as he hurried to repair the damage. “…I’m so sorry.”

 Demyx choked out a weak laugh. The blurriness of his intoxicated mind wasn’t enough to shield him from the crushing weight smashing at his heart. “Yeah, that’s what I get.”

 “Damn, Demyx, I didn’t mean–“

 “Yes, you did”, Demyx said, trying hard to shrug the remark away, but his hoarse voice came off way too small and strained. “And you know what? You were right all along. You always are.”

 He heaved out a long sigh, as a sense of some sort of finality clouded upon him. The calmness claiming his mind felt hollow and eerie, just on the borderline of turning into deadliest shade of numbed hysteria. After a few more rounds of coughing and gagging and burping out strings of saliva, he suddenly rose his head from the depths of the porcelain-pit. He tried to focus his bloodshot eyes on Zexion, but all he could make out was a large heap of blue, where three blurry copies of his friend’s worry-written face floated about. It was a hilarious enough sight, that Demyx would’ve surely erupted to laugh out loud, if he weren’t feeling so much like bawling his eyes out.

 “Oh, man. Here come the waterfalls”, Demyx informed his friend with poorly feigned half-heartedness. There was no helping the flowing streams of tears falling earnestly along his reddened cheeks and dripping from his chin to the back of his tensed fists. “Zex”, he swallowed, but the bitter lump in his throat wouldn’t go down. “I’m so fucking stupid.”

 “Come here, you.” Steady hands wrapped firmly around Demyx’s shoulders, as Zexion pulled him in a tight, protective embrace. His hand drew soothing circles against his back, making Demyx’s mellow body to lose all its constitution. Burying his face fast against his best friend’s shoulder, he was past trying to hold back the ugly, all-consuming sobs that made his whole body shook violently.

 “Goddamn. _I_ _t hurts._ ”

 “I know”, Zexion’s gentle voice whispered next to his ear. “I know.”

 

 ***

 Demyx spooned the remaining chunks of mint chocolate ice-cream from the bottom of his bowl, mechanically shoveling his mouth full with the sickeningly sweet stuff.

 His swollen eyes had been glued on some outrageously vain reality tv-show for at least a small eternity by then. He figured, that rotting his brain away while watching a bunch of conveniently attractive people getting hammered and cheating their partners at any given chance, was as acceptable way as any to wait till his butt would put down its roots to the sofa.

 Zexion had left for his evening-shift at the coffee shop about two hours ago. He hadn’t been too eager to leave Demyx by himself lately, which was a one frustrating merry-go-around, since in turn it made Demyx feel all the more shittier. Three months had been plenty enough for Demyx to pick up his old habit of making Zexion sick with worry on a regular basis. He realized, how isolating himself from the outside world to stare numbly at TV and eat gallons of ice cream, probably wasn’t the best solution for granting Zexion some peace of mind, but it seemed the dreadful fact only boosted the intensity of Demyx’s nearby comatose state.

 His heart did a radical leap, as he felt his phone buzzing in the pocket of his college shorts. He wasn’t too surprised as the notification turned out to be a voice message from Axel, but still a bitter, sinking feeling fell from his throat all the way to the pit of his stomach. Not that he wasn’t happy how his friend was still persistent enough to check-up on him regularly, even though Demyx had done next to nothing in order to keep in touch with him, ever since his short career at The Oblivion had met its dramatic end. Demyx felt bad for neglecting the rehearsals with The Nobodies, but every time he did as much as played with the thought of getting out of the apartment to do something productive, misery and overwhelming exhaustion would ground him completely, making his body feel weak and useless.

  _“How’s it hanging, Dem?”_ Axel’s happy tone sounded from the speaker, as Demyx tapped to listen the message.

 Amidst the static background noises, Demyx could make out Roxas’ hushed scolding; _“’How’s it hanging??’ Are we seriously asking him that?”_

  _“Listen”_ , Axel continued, after whispering something back sharply, _“you don’t need to feel bad for not being able to come to practice. We get it, man.”_

 _“I miss you, Demyx!”_ Xion’s voice exclaimed all of a sudden.

  _“We all do”,_ Roxas hurried to add.

 _“And know that we’re here for you, if you want us to be”_ , Axel spoke again. His kind words would have made Demyx’s eyes sting for sure, if he wasn’t all out of tears. _“Just say the word.”_

 Sighing, he tossed the phone carelessly on the living-room table.

 Despite the blaze of guilt flickering through his lethargic body, Demyx couldn’t make himself to send an answer just yet. He was painfully aware, what a shitty friend he was being, but that wasn’t quite enough for bringing his head back from the dark place. Considering everything that had happened at The Oblivion, one would think that his mind should’ve been shaken about the reality, that a dangerous criminal had nearly shot him dead. Instead of spinning the horrifying fact over and over again around his brain, it was Xigbar’s furious, bruised face and his harsh words that Demyx’s mind kept repeating.

 Not a day had passed since the said incident, when Demyx didn’t find himself torn apart, whether he should try and call Xigbar or simply heed Zexion’s words and leave the man to his own devices. In fact, he had already decided on adhering to the latter option, when anger and bitterness were still fresh in his mind. Clearly, Xigbar didn’t give two shits about how Demyx was doing, since he hadn’t heard a word of the man after everything that went down that evening.

 But as the days went by, the overboiling rage had soon mellowed into longing so fierce, that it had easily swallowed Demyx whole. It was an unfair, ugly possibility, how his heart would keep aching as long as Xigbar was missing from his life. He felt so pathetic, it made him want to scream out from shame and frustration. Oh, how he wanted to hate the man. How much he wished the fear that shook him so thoroughly back then was enough to make him want to keep his distance.

  _Those despicable thugs restricting Xigbar’s hands, making the strong, capable man to reduce into such helpless being. The devastating sound of the bald man striking him hard with the back of his gun. The way Demyx’s heart shattered into millions of pieces, as the gun’s mouth pressed against Xigbar’s bruised face…_

 Demyx swallowed down the breath-hitching sob tearing his throat. Tightly pinching shut his strained eyes, he buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t bring himself to be afraid of Xigbar. Hell, he didn’t even care that keeping the man’s company would potentially put his life on the line. The only thing he did fear, was the idea of Xigbar being constantly in mortal danger. _How Demyx wasn’t strong enough to protect him._

 The shrill ringing of the doorbell wrenched him abruptly back to reality.

 “Get a grip, man”, Demyx mumbled to himself, giving a sharp slap to his cheeks, as he strode to open the door. “At least try and act like you have your shit together…”

 As Demyx opened the door, Lexaeus’ enormous form appeared behind it. Straining his neck, Demyx reached his gaze up to look at his face. The severe expression that usually dominated his stony mien was tinted with a hint of wary softness. It reminded Demyx of his first day in the Islands, when Lexaeus and his sympathetic beetle had taken him to his new home for the first time.

 “Here”, Lexaeus stated firmly, offering two steaming hot pizza boxes in Demyx’s direction. He was clearly a bit unsure about how he should approach the situation at hand. “Zexion told me to make sure you eat.”

 “Oh, that worrywart”, Demyx groaned, feeling a bit embarrassed over the fact that Zexion had perceived it necessary to expose his downfall for Lexaeus. “I’ve been eating just fine!”

 “Something else besides mint chocolate ice-cream?” Lexaeus arched an unconvinced brow at him. The man had clearly been hanging around Zexion way too much. Demyx couldn’t but wonder, however the two managed to get along so well, since they both seemed to harbor a compulsory need to be right all the time and about all the things.

 “You got me there.” Demyx let out a long sigh. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was, until the mouthwatering fumes coming from the steaming pizza boxes made his stomach churn out a demanding whine. Opening the door wider, he motioned the man to come further inside the apartment. “Sorry for being such a douche, Lex. You’re a sweetheart.”

 “No harm done.” Lexaeus offered him a tiny, sympathetic smile. The man needed to bend down his head a bit, in order to fit his enormous composition through the doorway.

 The two men settled to sit at the kitchen table with the pizzas and some paopu soda. The subtle burn of embarrassment blazing about Demyx’s thoughts diminished quickly enough, as a content silence fell over them. With all the misery and despair wrecking at his sanity, Lexaeus’ undemanding presence felt almost therapeutic to him. Though Demyx had become to consider Lex as his friend too, he hadn’t spent too much time alone with the man. As rare as it was for the just two of them to hang around together, eating pizza while the comforting tranquility filled the atmosphere didn’t feel forced or awkward at all.

 “Still sure you won’t come spend the holidays with us?” Lexaeus asked all of a sudden.

 …Right. The Holiday Season was approaching horrifyingly fast, and Demyx had paid next to no mind for the ghastly fact. Due to the chaos that occupied nearly every aspect of his life nowadays, Demyx hadn’t really gotten that much time to ponder about such things, anyway. He recalled Zexion telling him, how he and Lex planned on spending the holidays at the countryside on one of the smaller islands, where Lex’s family resided. Zexion had also asked him to come with them, and though Demyx was agonizingly conscious about his own pettiness, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sullen about the whole idea.

 As much as he appreciated spending time with both his friends, being stuck in the middle of their long-winded wooing (that was clearly going on between the two), felt like a pretty darn miserable way to celebrate the holidays.

 “I appreciate the offer, Lex, I really do”, Demyx said, considering about how to pronounce his train of thought without coming off as an utter asshat. “But I think it’s best for me to spend some time alone right now.”

 “For real?”

 Demyx restricted the frustration gathering about his mind, that almost made him snap and tell the ever so observant man to cut it out already. Leaxeus’ concern came from a good place, just like Zexion’s. He refused to get all snarky at his friends, just because his own love life had suddenly started to resemble a cheap soap opera.

 “Yes! Cross my heart”, Demyx groaned. “Geez, you sound so much like Zex, it’s getting a bit scary.”

 Lexaeus actually laughed at that. Demyx had been long since convinced, that behind the stern façade, the man was secretly a one big goofball. As he had come to know Lex better, Demyx had concluded how he was in the end very similar to Zexion on that matter – the graveness of his nature was mostly the result of blatant shyness, that tended to fall off as soon as you earned his trust. Besides, no one with a pastel-colored beetle and endless collection of weird print shirts couldn’t really be that serious of a person.

 After finishing the pizzas with flowing collaboration, it was the high time for Lex to start heading back to work. As Demyx watched the brightly colored car speeding off the parking-lot, his absent thoughts gathered up a heap of his long-lost determination; he was done with making his friends worry about him. With downright brutal strength, Demyx forced the persisting grief in his heart aside. He would get up from his pathetic pit of self-pity and take the reins of his life into his own hands once again… or he would die trying.

 

 ***

  “No, but seriously”, Zexion wondered out loud, as he observed from the window, how a white, roofless mustang soared to the front yard with a dramatic curve that left the environment echoing with sharp screech. “What is the deal with you and weird-ass rich guys?”

 “At least this one’s not tied to the criminal underworld”, Demyx sighed, as he made his last attempt to will his unruly mohawk into a somewhat respectable angle. “And don’t go getting any ideas. Me and Lux are just friends.” He had agreed to go and grab a coffee with the guy over three months ago, and felt a bit embarrassed about owning up to his promise only then, even though Lux had tried to ask him out on several occasions during his stay in the Islands.

 Zexion snorted at that, smirking at him knowingly. “Does Luxord agree?”

 In all honesty, Demyx couldn’t say he was too sure about that; they did share brief and rather perplexing history together.

 First time he met Lux, the guy had been celebrating his upswing as an aspiring gambler by squandering tremendous sums of munny at a club back in Traverse Town. Drunk with the novelty, that was his new and shiny life as a legal adult, Demyx had felt himself drawn by the recklessness of the cheerful, handsome gentleman, who didn’t think twice before casting away his earnings on fancy stuff. It had been a carefree time in Demyx’s life, and naturally the encounter had proceeded into a blurry hook-up at Demyx’s tiny dorm room. Despite the hazy and somewhat awkward rendezvous, it had turned out Lux was actually a pretty cool guy. Even though nothing too serious ever came from the fling, they had kept in touch once in a while ever since that night… which was usually something that occurred mainly by Luxord’s effort, though.

 “Positively”, Demyx lied. Grabbing his wallet and keys from the table, he rushed his way out the door. “Bye, Zex!”

 “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

 Despite Zexion being back to his sassy self around him, Demyx could clearly see his friend was beyond relieved, about how he’d managed to reach back to the land of the living. At first, Zexion had been cautious to even make a reference at The One-Eyed Asshole, seemingly nervous that a mere mention of the man would make Demyx to break down again like a precious porcelain doll. Fortunately, he had stopped tiptoeing around him soon after Demyx strictly told him to cut it out with the annoying act. It was easier to disregard the pain, when everything around him operated just like before.

 As Demyx stepped to the parking-lot, he did his best to ignore the tight squeeze at his heart. Tacky vintage motorcycle and its crude owner were nowhere to be seen. In its place there shone a stark-white mustang, with a radiantly smiling gentleman sitting behind the steering wheel. Quickly shoving aside the dreadful shadow of crippling disappointment, Demyx granted him a playful smile of his own.

 “Look at you! Someone got a big, wet smooch from Lady Luck.”

 Tipping down his black sunglasses with an amount of drama, Luxord leaned his arm casually on the car’s windowless edge. “Luck and smooches, you say?” The man mused smugly. “Darling, this is what getting screwed by talent and success looks like.”

 Covering his mouth with his palm, Demyx prevented the fit of cackles from turning in to an uproar. “Ever so modest, aren’t you, Lux?”

 “That’s me, alright.” Resting the shades on top of his forehead, Luxord's impish grin softened considerably, as his kind eyes lingered on Demyx for a while. “Hop on, darling”, he let out a cheerful laugh at last, motioning Demyx to get in already.

 “Sorry”, Demyx laughed sheepishly, as he settled on the black leather seat and fastened the seatbelt. “My brain wasn’t sure how to handle all this glamour.”

 “You haven’t seen nothing yet”, Luxord remarked, a wry smile playing upon his handsome face, as he speeded off the parking-lot.

 As Luxord drove them through downtown, the bright and colorful Yuletide lights greeted Demyx’s eyes from every direction. The sides of enormous shopping centers were sealed with huge advertisement posters and billboards, that urged the citizens to hurry up and spend their munny already, while the Paopu Day sales still lasted, as if the holiday sales weren’t just around the corner.

 Right. It was the Paopu Day. That explained why the streets seemed to be completely cramped by visibly distressed people trotting about, hands full with colorful plastic shopping bags, as they hurried along the streets, looking for the next destination to throw away their savings. Demyx thought it was bit of a shame really, that what was supposed to be a celebration of love had been turned into such mindless _G_ _et rid of your munny as fast as you can_ fest.

 Luxord parked the car at the side of the downtown’s busiest shopping street with an inconveniently rigorous curve, causing the people passing by to throw curious glances at their direction. The smug smirk around the man’s neatly trimmed beard was rather distinctive, as he locked the brash vehicle with a click of the key-remote. The fancy white mustang did seem a bit out of place, standing there in the middle of humble, worn out city cars.

 Demyx felt a subtle heat rising to his cheeks. He couldn’t help but feel a moderate amount of secondhand embarrassment about the arrogant prosperousness, that Luxord paraded about so openly. The face-heating ridiculousness almost outdid Xigbar reveling (needlessly loud) around with his motorbike.

 Zexion had admittedly asked a very relevant question. What _was_ the deal with him and frustratingly self-absorbed rich guys?

 “Hungry? I happen to know a pretty good sushi place nearby”, Luxord chatted brightly, as they settled to walk side by side along the crowded streets.

 “Well”, Demyx started with hesitation. The harsh reality was, that he really shouldn’t be spending his humble savings on such inconvenient things like eating outside, especially when he didn’t have a regular job anymore. His face flushing a furious shade of red, Demyx ended up blurting the thought out loud in his panic. His claims about how a cup of coffee would be just fine by him, were completely disregarded, however.

 “Nonsense”, Luxord stated, swaying his hand dismissively in air. “It’ll be my treat.”

 “Seriously, though, you don’t have to-“

 “No, I don’t. But I want to.” Luxord’s grey eyes regarded him fondly. “It’d be my pleasure, Dem.”

 Demyx did his best to ignore the shrieking of his conscience. He wasn’t too dim to not realize, how Lux clearly still harbored feelings of some sort for him. He couldn’t but marvel the patience of the guy. Considering all the times Demyx forgot him on read or stood him up (usually by accident), the poor man should have gotten enough of him for a lifetime already. Demyx wasn’t proud to recognize, how the younger version of him wouldn’t probably think twice before taking advantage of the situation.

 “If you insist…” Demyx trailed off, not wanting to come off as too rude. And in all honesty – what was there to feel guilty about? Paying one another’s lunches once in a while was a completely normal thing between friends. There was absolutely no reason for him to overanalyze the situation and make things needlessly weird.

 “I do”, Luxord said with a relieved laugh. “Come now, it’s not too far away from here.”

 The restaurant stood a few meters away from their current location. Swimming their way through the crowded streets, Demyx was quite certain, how he’d never before witnessed a chaos such as the one that currently occupied the atmosphere of the downtown. Normally so joyous and carefree citizens were seemingly strict with abounding stress and frustration, as they dashed among the bustling sidewalks. The Yuletide Panic appeared to be a pretty international phenomenon, that even the ever so easygoing Islanders were unable to avoid. If one decided to not let the head-spinning hullabaloo to ruin their mood, the colorful Yuletide decorations dazzling all over the sunny cityscape would have come off as a very beautiful sight.

 Luxord led them all the way at the feet of a huge, glass-made tower, that seemed to reach all the way to touch the heaps of marshmallowy clouds sailing up in the serene blue sky. Stepping inside the building’s grand main hall, they took the lift all the way to the top floor. The view that opened up through the transparent walls, as they ascended towards the sky, was breathtakingly beautiful; the brightness of the early afternoon sun blended with multitudes of glowing colors the city was dressed in. The swarming people far below looked like a horde of tiny insects tending to their stately nest.

 “I think I’m feeling a bit dizzy”, Demyx admitted, when it started to seem as if the lift would keep going up ahead forever.

 “I’ll be sure to catch you if you faint”, Luxord offered easily, like it was the most obvious thing to answer with.

 With a soft _ding_ , the lift finally opened up its doors. He should have guessed, how Lux’s idea of a  _pretty good sushi place_  would be an over-priced à la carte, where the price of the starters alone were almost enough to give Demyx a stroke. The menu wasn’t the only outrageously fancy thing at the place. Overviewing the other customers sitting at neighborhood tables, Demyx got a grim feeling about being distinctively underdressed for such gaudy place. Hastily shaking off the pressing assumptions, he reasoned strictly, how dwelling on such things would take him absolutely nowhere.

 “So, how are you liking the Islands so far?”

  _Just fine, really_ _… as long as you remained determined enough to not let rude bikers rain on your parade._ Fighting the desire to punch himself in the face in order to chase away such thoughts, Demyx pondered about a more suitable answer. “Well, this isn’t Traverse Town, so that’s a start.”

 “True enough”, Luxord chortled, amusement glinting in his eyes. After an elegant waitress dressed in a silky red dress brought their orders, he continued, “I always knew that blasted place was too small for us.”

 After a somewhat awkward start, Demyx was relieved to notice, how his nervously pounding thoughts began to settle down by the minute. In the light of their contrasting socio-economic circumstances, he and Lux might’ve as well been from different dimensions, but after a while of being in the man’s presence, Demyx recalled why Luxord had piqued his interest in the first place. The man was capable of being arrogant and self-centered, for sure, but above all that he was a kind, considerate and fun-loving guy, who laughed easily and enjoyed rambling about nonsense almost as much as Demyx. Lux also had a rather potent knack at story telling, and though Demyx was skeptical to buy all the details about his grand adventures around the world, it was surprisingly entertaining to listen the man describe his extraordinary escapades. On more than one occasion, Demyx nearly managed to choke on a nigiri and burst his soda out his nostrils, as the story got some voluminously bizarre features.

 “So, let me get this straight”, Demyx pronounced, squinting the other man suspiciously. “The Queen of Wonderland sent you on an exile, just because you bested her in a game of poker?”

 “She’s a one petty hag, I tell you”, Luxord mumbled bitterly. “The bloody place hasn’t got a fragment of democracy left in it.”

 Completely oblivious about how much time had passed during their lighthearted jabbering about this and that, Demyx was brought back into the present moment, as the waitress delivered their check as well as some complimentary sweets on a silvery plate. The numbers splayed on the paper seemed downright astronomical to Demyx, but he did his best to not make his devastation too visible.

 Demyx entertained a wary wish, about how the bustling downtown would have cleared down at least a bit, after they left the restaurant’s building, but of course that wasn’t the case. If anything, it seemed like the number of uptight Islanders rushing past one another was increasing evenly.

 “Sheesh, how barbaric! It’s like the end of the world out here”, Luxord groaned sullenly, eyeing the hurrying city folk with open arrogance on his face, as a woman with her hands full of wrapped up holiday presents shoved at his shoulder as she strode by. “Let’s go to somewhere quieter, shall we?”

 “Lead the way”, Demyx gladly agreed. He wasn’t too keen on staying among the battlefield that the collective holiday-hysteria had created.

 They made their way farther from the core of the downtown, nearing the oceanside, where the chaotic buzzing appeared to be considerably tamer. There was a small ice-cream booth by the sidewalk, right on the verge of the beach with gleamingly golden shores. Demyx was about to announce, how he had already consumed at least a decade’s fill of ice-cream within two weeks, but couldn’t find the heart to voice the thought out loud in the end. After Luxord fetched them both bars of sea-salt ice cream, the duo settled to sit on a wooden bench, to watch as the billowing waves lapped at the glimmering sand lazily.

 The peculiar taste of salty sweetness made Demyx think of his fellow band members. The torch of guilt burned in his stomach at the thought of his friends. He had agreed to start coming to practice with them again, but that didn’t change the fact, how they had needed to cancel several shows due to Demyx’s unexpected downfall. Though they had been nothing but supportive and sympathetic towards him, Demyx couldn’t but feel a bit unnerved about facing Axel and the others again. He wasn’t too sure if he could take them tiptoeing around him, while the unspoken truth about the nature if his brutal breakdown lingered in the air.

 The comforting sound of the wavering ocean and screeching seagulls were soon able to ease the distressing thoughts whirling inside his head. Laughing and joking together with Lux felt more natural than Demyx remembered. How come he’d avoided meeting with the guy for so long?

 A surge of cold shivered through Demyx’s body all of a sudden, as a gruesome rumbling of engine somewhere behind invaded his ears. His heart did an acute leap at the familiar sound, his head snapping around to look for the source of the noise on an instinct. _Cut it out with the foolery!_ A rational part of his clouded brain (that sounded suspiciously like Zexion) scolded him. _Are you seriously going to freak out every time someone rides by with a motorbike?_ A flash of black flickered in his field of view, way too fast for Demyx to discern the biker’s appearance. He didn’t register Luxord’s concerned voice asking if he was feeling alright, until the man repeated the question.

 “Everything alright, darling? You don’t look too good right now.”

 “Well, aren’t you a flatterer.” Demyx willed the words to come off as airy and carefree, but the strangled undertone behind them made him wince a bit. His high spirits so brutally struck down, Demyx suddenly found himself longing for the living-room couch and binge watching trashy reality shows, while stuffing himself uncomfortably full with ice-cream. “Sorry, Lux. I think I’m going down with a flu of some sort.” The lie was hasty and half-baked, making the tips of Demyx’s ears hot with embarrassment.

 “You should’ve said as much”, Luxord exclaimed, a horrified frown on his face, as if Demyx had just revealed him how fatally ill he was. “And here I’ve been dragging you around, when you should be at home and rest. Some friend I am!”

 “Don’t beat yourself about it”, Demyx was fast to reassure him. The last thing he wished was Luxord thinking that his wayward mood swings were somehow his fault. Without giving the action too much thought, he reached to squeeze Luxord’s hand reassuringly. “I had fun with you, Lux. Thanks for brightening up my day.”

 A dumbfounded expression fell on Luxord’s furiously flustering face. From the look of it, he was desperately trying to find the right words to voice out. “Me too”, he was able to utter, “I mean, I had fun too. With you, that is.”

 During the ride back to the apartment, Demyx allowed his mind to wander. Watching the city’s buzzing unwind as the car neared his and Zex’s part of town, all the energy from earlier that day seemed to wash off of him abruptly. Every part of his body felt achingly heavy, and the fog descended back to surround his weary mind again. As they approached the traffic lights at the beginning of a long, straight lane that led to Demyx’s destination, a wave of relief rushed past him. Soon he would be back at home, where he could curl up under a blanket on a living-room couch and rot away in peace.

 At first, when the loud revving attacked his ears again, Demyx wasn’t sure whether the nerve-wrecking noise was only the result of his whirring mind making tricks on him. He got his answer almost immediately, when the rumbling sound approached vastly behind them. Electrifying shudders bolted at every inch of Demyx’s body. It was like something primitive inside him had anticipated this to happen.

 Right by them, waiting for the green light was Xigbar.

 All the control over his mind and body gone with the wind, Demyx’s mouth worked faster than his thoughts. He wasn’t sure if he really spoke the man’s name out loud, but right after the unclear words escaped him, he wished the seat would swallow him whole. It was a merciful thing, how loud the roaring of the motorbike’s engine was. Demyx hoped the devastatingly noisy rumbling had managed to envelope his words completely.  
 Whether Xigbar heard him or not, he turned his head at Demyx’s direction just then. A distraught look flashing over his face was gone just as quickly as it came. Demyx could distantly feel his own expression distorting with naked wistfulness, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Maybe, if he called Xigbar’s name one more time, if he could only make him to listen…

 Xigbar’s lip twisted to a contemptuous snarl. The glare he threw at Demyx, before wrenching his gaze sharply away, made Demyx feel as if someone poured a bucket of freezing water over his head. As soon as the light flickered back to green, the bike’s engine revved about an eardrum-wrenching, vigorous roar, before it stormed past Luxord’s car, fast and loud as a furious cyclone.

 “That bloody brute”, Luxord hissed under his breath, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the steering wheel hard. “Someone could get seriously hurt, if he keeps messing around with that hideous thing like that!”

 Demyx held back a strangled laugh from escaping him. Luxord’s remark scored so agonizingly close to the truth, it was almost hilarious. For the rest of the drive, Demyx forced his focus strictly down on his hands resting at his lap, willing his thoughts clear from the encounter that just occurred. He could feel how the waterfalls behind his eyes were about to start flowing at any given moment. Warily glancing at Luxord’s direction, Demyx was glad to detect, that the man appeared to be perfectly oblivious of the storm of overwhelming emotions stirring inside him. Vaguely muttering under his breath, Luxord’s attention was strictly glued on the road ahead. Sheer irritation shadowed over his frowning face. It seemed Demyx wasn’t the only one reacting so strongly to Xigbar’s mere presence.

 As Luxord curved the car in front of the main entrance of Demyx’s apartment, Demyx was in such a hurry to flee to the safety of his room that he almost forgot to bid his goodbyes to the other man. “Bye, Lux, and thanks for today.” Demyx hoped the hastily constructed smile on his face didn’t come off as too forced. “It was a blast hanging out with you again.”

 “Likewise”, Luxord said, a thoughtful expression upon his face as he searched for his next words. “Don't be a stranger, Dem. If you ever need a friend, I'm only just a call away.” The look in his grey-blue eyes was filled with such sincere kindness, it made Demyx’s insides clench from suffocating guiltiness.

 “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Turning on his heel, Demyx strolled swiftly towards the front door. Just when his hand reached the door’s handle, Luxord’s voice exclaimed behind him.

 “Dem! I almost forgot!”

 Turning his head to Lux’s direction, Demyx arched a questioning brow. He restrained the urge to huff out an exasperated sigh. Spending the afternoon with Lux had been fun, but the amount of socializing he had been practicing was quite enough for his current state of mind. He really wished nothing more than to be alone with his whirring thoughts at the moment.

 “Got any plans for the holidays?”

 Well, he could still change his mind about not going to Lex’s parents' place at the countryside, but that wasn’t too likely to happen. No matter how sincerely happy he was for Zexion finally finding such awesome man like Lex in his life, the thought of being constantly around their bashfully subtle lovey-doveyness was pretty much unbearable. “Nothing in particular, I guess.”

 “Truly?” Leaning his head further from the car’s windowless side, Luxord’s delighted tone rang with hopeful excitement, though he clearly tried to not sound too thrilled about Demyx having no one to spend the holidays with. “I’m hosting something of a Yuletide celebration at my place on the Holiday Week. You’re more than welcome to come party with us.”

 Demyx didn’t allow himself the time to ponder his answer for too long. The sheer possibility of how his Yuletide would look like, if he were to decline the invitation, was almost too dreadful to even entertain. _All alone and miserable, watching tear-evoking, terribly corny holiday classics about happy families and cheesy love stories. A bowl of mint chocolate ice-cream the only thing keeping him company…_

 “I’d love to”, he announced almost bluntly, forcefully cutting off the horrifying documentary about the alternative future reeling inside his head.

 “Then it’s settled”, Luxord said. Dropping the black shades back on his nose, he flashed Demyx a brilliant grin. “With you there, I’m sure it’s going to be an absolute blowout.”

 As Luxord’s white mustang drove off the parking lot and disappeared around the corner, all the confusing, head-aching thoughts Demyx had held back charged to take over his mind at once. As if he was under some strange, all-powerful spell, he rushed up the stairs. Flying the apartment’s door open in a downright theatrical manner, he was grateful to note that Zexion wasn’t home. Settling to sit at the kitchen table, a rush of adrenaline soared all over Demyx’s senses, as he pried his phone from his pocket. Seeing Xigbar back there, the overpowering longing had easily defeated the remnants of anger and bitterness inside him for good.

 He wanted to- no, he _needed_ to be close to the man again. To see him, to feel him, at least hear him. At that point, Demyx had held on to the leftovers of his dignity with all that he got, but upon being reminded about Xigbar’s ongoing existence (that didn’t include Demyx) his heart had filled with darkest shade of jealousy and such bittersweet yearning, that he found himself long past caring about just how low he had sunk.

 The clamor of his frantically pounding heart flooding his ears, Demyx’s trembling fingers tapped at the phone’s screen. Violently halting the raging vortex swirling inside his head, he pressed at Xigbar’s contact, brought the phone to his ear and wished he would be able to keep the tears at bay.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who thought this was going to be a fluffy romantic comedy: I am sorry! I don't know what's happening anymore either, but as it turns out, this is pretty much a soap opera at this point. 
> 
> I know apologizing on behalf my English is getting old, but I'll do it again. SORRY. 
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: Vaguely implied past child abuse and some violence ahead!

* * *

 

 "Aren’t you going to answer that?” Xaldin asked, nodding towards the vibrating phone upon sticky pub table. His supposedly innocent question earned him a harsh glare from Xigbar sitting in front of him.

 “As if”, Xigbar grunted, snatching the device quickly away, before his friend’s prying eyes could get a glimpse of whoever was calling him. “Don’t think I’m gonna.” Taking a long gulp from his pint, he aspired to ignore the vibrations coming from his pocket with determination.

 “It’s him, isn’t it?”

 Xigbar rolled his eye, letting out an irritated groan. “What’s with the sudden nosiness?” Leaning his elbows on the table, he drowned his frown yet again into the pint glass, while doing his best to ignore Xaldin’s sharp eyes observing him without a pause. When Xaldin gave no sign of ceasing with his intrusive ogling, Xigbar gave up with a scoff. “Yes, it’s him, if you must know. Though, I don’t see how this concerns you at all.”

 The squirt had started blowing up his phone about a week ago. After the Oblivion-incident, the first time Demyx’s contact had flickered on the screen of his phone, Xigbar had been dangerously close to giving up and answering him right away. Thankfully, it seemed his peculiar attachment towards the younger man hadn’t completely corrupted his brain activity just yet, and so he’d been strong enough to contain himself so far.  
 The amount of sentimentality, that Demyx had managed to flood his heart with would’ve probably been something worth laughing at, if Xigbar didn’t find it so damn terrifying. His original plan had been to only mess with the kid a bit, play with him until he’d get fed up. What was supposed to be nothing but a fun, whimsical game had ended up exploding right in his hands, turning into a whirlwind of something unexpectedly raw and overwhelming. Had the whole encounter with those thugs occurred a month or so earlier, Xigbar was fairly certain he’d been selfish enough to still keep the squirt around, consequences be damned.

 But now? The harsh truth that Demyx wouldn’t be safe, so long as he kept hanging around Xigbar, refused to quit twisting at his guts. However much agony it was to keep his distance, Xigbar knew it was the only right thing to do.

 “It does, since I have to witness your pining. I’d laugh at you, if you weren't so utterly pathetic”, Xaldin informed him, very matter-of-factly.

 “Such a nice thing to say to your dearest friend”, Xigbar snorted. Leave it to Xaldin to find the words of comfort during trying times… “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

 “Well?” Xaldin urged, disregarding Xigbar’s half-assed attempts to joke it all away.

 “Well, what!” Xigbar could feel how his patience was on a thin ice. Of course Xaldin had to choose that specific evening to get weirdly talkative all of a sudden. If he wished to be interrogated and sassed at so mercilessly whilst trying to enjoy his beer, he would have asked Vexen to come with him. “Stop being so cryptic. I’m no mind reader, for fuck’s sake.”

 “You want to call him back, I can see it in your face. So, why’re you ignoring him?”

 Well, now he’d surely heard everything. Whenever did Xaldin develop such passion for speculating his dalliances?

 Releasing a frustrated sigh, Xigbar downed the rest of his drink in one generous gulp and placed the emptied glass upon table with a thud. “I’ll enlighten you about the whole tragedy, my nosy friend, but that’ll cost you a pint.”

 “Why would I buy anything for a man who lives in a fucking mansion?” Xaldin hmphed. His lamenting didn’t seem very authentic, considering how he was already shifting from his seat.

 “You sure like to flaunt that question mark tonight”, Xigbar called after him.

 As he watched Xaldin’s back retreating towards the bar counter, Xigbar felt slightly unsure about how he should proceed explaining everything that happened.

 He’d known Xaldin since his early twenties, back from his days in Radiant Garden. The sturdy, intimidating young man had been hired as a bodyguard by Xigbar’s father, an infamously vicious business man who still held pretty much the whole Radiant Garden’s underworld on his leash. With a little help from Xigbar, Xaldin had been lucky enough to resign the task in the end, without a dooming promise of vendetta lingering behind his back. As when Xigbar had tried on the same stunt and discard the legacy of his old man… things hadn’t gone too prettily.

 Xaldin was aware of his sketchy background, as well as how Xigbar wasn’t exactly an equivalent to an honest citizen. Still, due to the persistent shadows of their shared past in Radiant Garden looming upon their heads, Xigbar had been careful to not drag Xaldin into his family’s messed up businesses anymore. Unfortunately, it looked like moving to the Islands had done next to nothing in order to shake the dusts of past behind. He couldn’t but be a bit worried, if Xaldin would finally decide how hanging around him wasn’t worth the risk in the end. There was still enough selfishness within Xigbar, to make him want to keep his best friend around.

 As Xaldin returned at their table with two foaming pints in hands, Xigbar prepared to spill all the details regarding that evening.

 How he'd arrived to find the squirt in the hands of those vile cons. How close call their survival had been. How Demyx’s face twisted from confusion and hurt, as he hurled the horrible words at him…

 “You really said that to him, didn’t you”, Xaldin groaned, massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers. He looked very much like it was taking a great effort on him to not charge across the table and strangle the other man. “That’s just what every guy wants to hear after being threatened with a gun. I'm impressed, Xigbar.”

 “Well, what the hell else was I supposed to do!” Xigbar snapped a tad too loud, surprising himself as well as few other customers sitting nearby in aftermath. He had no need for Xaldin bemoaning at his horrid actions, since he was already perfectly aware how much of an asshole he was. Reviewing the brutally vivid memory upon his mind’s screen never failed to make Xigbar uncomfortably frustrated. No matter how much he strived to justify his vicious behavior towards the other man, the fact that he'd been the cause of those tears wasn’t a pleasant thing to dwell on. Now that he’d let Xaldin to know what exactly went down back then, he’d rather drop the subject for good. “I needed to make sure he’d want nothing to do with me anymore.”

 “Yeah? And how did that work out for you, again?” Xaldin articulated, overly patient as if he was spelling words out loud from a toddler's picture book.

 “Fuck you”, Xigbar barked back. “I don’t wanna play with you anymore.” He sank a bit in his chair, crossing his arms with dramatic pout. Regardless of how sour he was about it, he got to admit how Xaldin wasn't completely without a point. It seemed that life-threatening situations and extremely inconsiderate choice of words weren’t enough to make Demyx stay away from him. The whole concept was just too surreal to wrap his head around. Why on earth would the kid keep clinging to a vile bastard like him?

 “I think you owe him an explanation, at very least”, Xaldin continued on with his preaching, paying no mind to Xigbar’s childish antics. “He did save your sorry ass.”

 Xigbar couldn’t but gawk at the other man. It had been a long time since he’d heard his severe friend talking so much in one sitting. “And what difference would that make”, Xigbar mumbled under his breath, feeling defeated to the bone. His face felt boiling hot from his shameful forfeit. The stingingly bitter sensation he’d become to know rather contiguously within last weeks, threatened to rise on the surface once again. He felt so frustrated and angry, mainly for letting Xaldin to see what a wreck he was over the whole thing. Expressing such burdensome, plain awkward feelings wasn’t part of their friendship’s etiquette. “How could I even begin to explain this whole damn mess to him?”

 “You’re on your own with that one”, Xaldin shrugged. Something suspiciously sincere flashed across his face. “Not all of us were raised in a mob, Xigbar.” Leaning forward, he spoke the words with hushed tone. “Poor guy must’ve been scared shitless after all that happened. And the fact that he still wants to be around you?” He shook his head a bit, like he himself couldn’t quite believe he was rambling about such trivial things. “I know I wouldn’t let someone like that go.”

 “Ah! Would you look at the time”, Xigbar exclaimed all of a sudden, causing Xaldin to jump on his seat a bit. “As much as I enjoyed this lil’ therapy session, I’m afraid I must get up and go now.” He chatted away, overdoing his devil-may-care attitude. He dived his hand into the pocket of his leather jacket, the comforting feeling of lighter and a pack of cigarettes against his hand calmed the ascending uneasiness within him considerably. “Wouldn’t wanna keep your next client waiting.”

 Xaldin regarded him with an unimpressed look, sturdy shoulders dropping in defeat as he let out a pained sigh. “Aren’t you a funny one.”

 Xigbar knew how appearing so exasperated with his stubborness was Xaldin’s way to show he cared. During their youthful days in Radiant Garden, drifting from risky situation to another had been an ordinary part of their lives. Him and Xal both had stared death in the eye so often, that Xigbar had long ago lost the count of said occasions. For someone who wasn’t familiar with Xaldin, it might’ve seemed as if the stoic man wasn’t too concerned about the newest peril Xigbar had been through. But in view of how out of character he seemed that evening, with his bothersome questions and wordy behavior, Xigbar could clearly see a fair amount of worry hovering behind Xaldin’s unamused scowl.

 A soothingly cool evening breeze greeted the two friends, as they exited the pub. The sun had already retired down the darkened horizon, making way to the shimmering sea of stars, twinkling brightly as if to challenge the glittering Yuletide lights all over the city. Xigbar ducked his pack of cigarettes from his pocket, poking one up and snatching it between his lips. He offered the pack at Xaldin’s direction, but the other man merely wrinkled his nose in disgust.

 “I thought you quit that bullshit already.”

 “That I did”, Xigbar remarked, lighting up his smoke. “And now I’m starting again.”

 Xaldin fanned his hand in front of his face, a displeased frown twisting at his face. “How frivolous of you.”

 “Really, Xal?” Taking an exaggeratedly long and animated drag of his cigarette, Xigbar blew the smoke-cloud at Xaldin, evoking an angry growl from his friend. “You wouldn’t deny an old man one of the few pleasures he’s got in his life.”

 “Says a bastard who practically swims in munny.”

 Xaldin surged to snatch the cigarette from Xigbar’s hand, but the other man was faster, ducking from his way with a mirthful cackle. After the two were done with their playful skirmish, Xigbar settled to resolve the confrontation by sticking his tongue out at the impossibly whiny man, who in turn offered him a very rude hand gesture. As a moment of silence adjusted between them, Xigbar’s thoughts wandered back to Xaldin’s previous words. Something that resembled ominously his long-lost conscience, banged pots and pans together inside his head, leaving little space for any other thought.  
 No matter how gravely the conflict had escalated at The Oblivion, the squirt had found courage to defend Xigbar. It had been a stupid stunt to pull, no doubt, and a flaming beacon of fury still raged inside Xigbar’s mind as he thought about it. The way the blasted dumbass had been so ready to throw himself in harm’s way for him had woken some other feelings inside him, as well, ones he wasn’t sure he could name if he wanted to.

 The squirt-  _Demyx_ had saved him back there. And how did he repay?

 “Planning on coming to the Yuletide party?” Xaldin spoke all of a sudden, snapping Xigbar back to the recent moment. His eyes were fixed upon the screen of his phone, clearly done with making Xigbar squirm under the unceasing analyzing, which he was greatly thankful for.

 “Doubt that”, Xigbar muttered, trying hard to keep his mind away from the said party’s infamous host. It was a well-known fact, how merely sparing a thought for Luxord was fatal for Xigbar’s blood pressure. “If you think I’m gonna willingly hang around with the golden boy, you’re horribly mistaken.”

 As if it wasn’t burdensome enough being the asshat’s neighbor! Xigbar could name right at the bat at least a dozen reasons to find the preppy idiot absolutely infuriating. One of the recent ones was how he'd practically bolted to perch his yard full with terribly flagrant Yuletide lights and decorations, as soon as November had ended. He also didn’t deem it necessary to put the horrible, flickering things off for the nights, which resulted to Xigbar’s whole household looking as if there was a constant rave party going on. He really needed to get that higher fence…

 “I hear Demyx is coming too.”

  _Ouch._ A sour sensation climbing up his throat made Xigbar feel as if he were an unreasonable child on the verge of a temper-tantrum. What gave him the right to feel all salty and bitter, if Demyx happened to find the prep’s company enjoyable? As much as it stung to admit it, he would be way more better off hanging with Luxord and forgetting about Xigbar, anyway.

 “All the more reason for me to stay away”, Xigbar shrugged, treading his cigarette to the ground and the shards of jealousy with it. “Besides, I’m leaving to visit Radiant Garden tomorrow. Not sure if I’m gonna be back for the thrilling festivities.”

 “Tell Aqua and the little fellows I said hi.” A hint of smile broke upon Xaldin’s stony mien. Not all memories from their old hometown were too bad.

 “Will do.”

  

 ***

 Xigbar stepped out of the Radiant Garden’s gummi ship harbor, and immediately regretted for not bringing a warmer jacket with him.

 After a year living in Destiny Islands, he had managed to completely forget about how chilly the winters could get in his old city. Heaps of grey clouds showered sleety snowflakes upon the slushy asphalt, making the surrounding world seem exceedingly gloomy. Even the glowing of the happily colored Yuletide decorations wasn’t enough to soften the harshness of the cityscape. A shiver ran through Xigbar’s body, but he wasn’t quite sure if it had anything to do with the weather. Despite there still being people he cared about in this city, he couldn’t claim to be awfully fond of the place.  
 Daring to leave his shelter under the harbor-building’s roof, Xigbar tucked his jacket tighter around him and started to stride towards the avenue, in hopes of being lucky enough to hail himself a cab before getting thoroughly soaked.

 He succeeded in doing that before too long. After managing his suitcase in the back of the car, he took the front seat, receiving a very alarmed look from the driver next to him. Xigbar fought back the smirk itching to spread on his face. Although, it was hard to decide, if it would be more fun to flash his most wicked grin or appear all dark and stormy, in order to intimidate the poor guy. Perhaps it was tad twisted to find amuse in seeing people so taken aback by him, but he’d take joy where he could find it, when it came to his crude appearance. If one looked as frightening already, why half-ass it?

 “To Hollow Bastion.” As he announced his destination, the driver seemed about ready to stop the car right there and flee for his life.

 “Y-yes, Sir!” The horrified man was able to squeak.

 Despite how his hold on the steering-wheel was trembling rather vividly, the shaken driver managed to take them all the way to Xigbar’s destination in the end. The car speeded past the city’s center, and after a while of driving down the highway, they passed under an ominously rusty _‘Welcome to the Hollow Bastion’_ sign, the tumultuous sounds of the busy main road calming down soon after. Driving by the lane that was surrounded by hackneyed, feeble-looking apartment complexes and musty gas stations, the desolated environment began to evolve slowly. Upon reaching the end of a hilly side-road, a neighborhood of huge mansions with sturdy stonewalls appeared before them.

 The car pulled next to a long sidewalk, where the line of imposing estates stood side by side. As soon as Xigbar was done with loading his stuff from the trunk, the driver took off in an instant, not bothering to wait for his payment.

 Getting a hold of his suitcase, he started to head towards the core of the wealthy neighborhood. The colorless sky had stopped soiling the streets with sleet, and even the sun dared to defy the greyness all around, peeking warily behind the curtain of thick clouds. Soon Xigbar found himself approaching the gates of a hulking, marble-white estate. Pressing the code on a mechanical keypad, the heavy gates opened up for him, revealing an extensive yard, full with bizarre hedge-sculptures lining the cobblestone walk that trailed all the way at the feet of the building’s entrance.

 Just when Xigbar stepped on the mansion’s front porch, a child’s delighted shrieking reached his ears, soon followed by a more mature voice hollering with exasperation. The flurry of sounds led Xigbar to the backyard, where his sight landed upon two little boys, gleefully running in circles around a large fountain as a man with long silvery hair chased after them. As if the sight wasn’t priceless enough as it was, the flounced apron the man was wearing took the hilarity to a whole new level.

 “You tiny rascals! If you won’t get here this instant, that apple pie will remain but a dream!” The man yelled, leaning his hands against his thighs, he stopped to catch his breath only for a little while before continuing to pursue the overjoyed children.

 If anything, the children’s vibrant laughter seemed to get even more raucous after his desperate outburst.

 ”Uncle Xemnas, you’re a slowpoke!” The slightly smaller one with a messy blond hair giggled, reaching to high-five with the other one running a bit ahead of him.

 “Yeah! We’re taking no bath ever again!” The other boy with wild golden eyes and spiky black hair declared, a fair amount of fiery persistence in his high-pitched voice.

 Leaning against the back terrace’s pillar, Xigbar folded his arms and settled to follow the display from afar with great amusement. His plan to see how long it'd take until the trio would notice his presence fell rather short, as he couldn’t hold back an uproarious laughter of his own. The ongoing race halted at the moment Xigbar’s booming voice carried out. Stopping right in their tracks, the two little boys flipped their heads at his direction, big round eyes lighting up immediately upon noticing him.

  _“Grandpa!”_ They screeched in unison, sprinting right into Xigbar’s open arms. Small mitten-covered hands clutched steadily at him as they more or less threw themselves into the embrace.

 “How’re my favorite lil’ dudes doing?” Xigbar let out a hearty laugh, gathering both boys in a tight hug. A merry laughter blended in with joyous shrieks, as their small feet ascended off the ground. Their happy voices and bright eyes reminded Xigbar once again about why he kept coming back to this wrenched city. “Let me take a good look at you two.”

 Settling the tiny duo back on the ground, Xigbar kneeled down to examine their bright little faces. The persistent hollowness that'd lately occupied his mind was already starting to unfold, as he observed his grandsons with fondness so intense that his chest ached. “Well, well! I dare say, it looks like ‘Tas is catching up with you, Ven. I recommend you start eating your greens if you wanna grow up to be as awesome and strong as your grandpa.”

 The black-haired boy beamed at the comment, offering a smug smile at his brother, who in turn let out a disheartened gasp. “Did you hear, Ven? I’m gonna be like gramps and you’ll stay a baby forever!” The boy let out a mischievous laugh, clearly mimicking some malicious cartoon villain.

 “Vanitas is being stupid, grandpa! Tell him to stop”, Ven let out a miserable wail, burying his snotty face in Xigbar’s jacket.

 “None of that now, I didn’t come all the way here to see you two being all nasty to each other”, Xigbar said, trying hard to chase the amusement from his voice. Gently detaching the sniveling boy from himself before his jacket would be plastered with snot and saliva, Xigbar pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped Ven’s damp face clean with an accustomed manner. “Tell me, what have you two shrimps been up to lately?” Xigbar asked. He was through with trying to hold back the mirthful grin spreading on his face, as he noted the silver-haired man angrily stomping his way towards them. “Besides giving your great uncle Xemmy a hard time, that is.”

 “Uncle Xemnas is always so mean to us, grandpa!” Vanitas whispered hastily, his round face puffing from outrage. “He says we have to go wash up, or else he’s gonna feed the whole apple pie for Baxter!”

 “Who–“ Xigbar didn’t get to finish the sentence, as a very frustrated and disheveled silver-haired man interrupted him.

 “If it isn’t my dear big brother”, the man grumbled, clearly trying to summon forward the last strands of his wounded grace as he adjusted the hem of his wrinkled apron. “Here to rescue me from his demonic offspring, I hope?”

 “Get a grip, Xemmy.” Xigbar shook his head at the other man’s absurd hostility. “You’re talking about a couple of four-year olds.”

 No doubt the two rascals were more than capable of being a handful, but from the look of it, Xemnas’ sulky behavior was of little help in unfolding the situation. Both boys practically jumped into Xigbar’s arms upon the other man’s arrival, from where they threw disapproving glares at him.

 Letting out a weary sigh, Xemnas’ tense shoulders dropped a bit. “Perhaps I got a bit carried away…” he started, visibly embarrassed for letting his temper get the best of him like that. “At times they remind me of you so much that I can’t seem to control my frustration. I guess there’s no hoping they’ll eventually end up taking after Aqua, too.”

 Xigbar rolled his eye at the comment. It was an ongoing source of devastation within their family, how it was possible that someone as collected and smart as Aqua could be in any way related to Xigbar. He had been barely an adult himself when Aqua was born, and so his own unseasoned parenting skills had been of rather varying quality. That kept in mind, it was definitely a pleasant surprise, how his only daughter had grown up to be as decent as she was, despite her chaotic childhood.

 “Uncle Xemnas, are you really gonna feed the pie for Baxter?” Ven asked with a worried tone, daring to finally release himself from Xigbar’s arms and fixing his big, blue eyes on the other man.

 The question that had puzzled Xigbar’s mind before his brother interrupted his train of thought returned to him at once. _Just who the heck is Baxter?_

 “That’s what I said, didn’t I?” Xemnas mused, his voice tight around the corners, though he was clearly trying a more amicable approach this time around. “Now, you two be good little boys and head to the bathroom already, and I might just change my mind.”

 “No!” Vanitas protested loudly, waving his small fist menacingly at Xemnas.

 “That is not an acceptable answer!”

 “Woah, woah, woah!" Xigbar interrupted the dawning argument, herding the kids gently to stand a bit farther from the fuming man. “How about I take these two gentlemen for a quick wash-up, so you get the time to tend to that pie meanwhile?”

 “Would you?” All hostility gone in a snap, Xemnas’ tired voice had a downright pleading tint to it.

 “Well, they’re my _demonic offspring,_ after all”, Xigbar chuckled, turning his attention to the little boys who examined warily the dialogue between the two adults. “What do you say, fellas, let’s get you all nice and groomed for that apple pie, shall we?"

 Xigbar didn’t miss the slightly vexed expression descending on Xemnas’ face, as the children suddenly bolted right inside the house and towards the bathroom, like the two little angels they were. Offering his brother a grin that was somehow both outrageously smug and apologetic at the same time, Xigbar headed to follow his grandchildren.

 After assisting the little ones through their bubble-bath (that ended up escalating to an extent that the whole bathroom was fully invaded by the foaming whiteness afterwards) and seeing them to clean clothes, the delicious fumes of cinnamon and roasted apple led the gang to the kitchen. Being granted the time to prepare the baked goods in peace, Xemnas appeared considerably calmer already. Although his disheveled composition still reminded Xigbar of a wilted housewife, the menacing air radiating around him seemed to have disappeared for the most part. As he served the children their long-awaited treats, both of them dug into their pieces happily, so fully immersed in devouring their share, that the two adults were given a rather merciful while to catch their breaths.

 “Do you think Baxter is sad for not getting any?” Ventus wondered, his cheeks puffed by all the pie he’d stuffed his small mouth with.

 And there it was again; the question occupying Xigbar’s mind that no one seemed to give him a proper answer for.

 “Just who–“ He managed, before something wet and scratchy licked at his fingers from under the table. With a gasp, Xigbar wrenched his hand away. Warily lifting the tablecloth, he found himself facing what was possibly the weirdest creature he’d yet seen; it was a heartless, no doubt of that. A purple, dog-like creature with eyes as huge as dinner plates, their crazed gaze pointing at completely varying directions. An enormous pink tongue lolled out its mouth, clearly waiting for something more delicious to taste than Xigbar’s hand.

 “What the ever-loving fu–“ Xigbar restrained himself just before the inappropriate word escaped for children to hear. “What. Is. That”, he snarled between his teeth, turning to glare at Xemnas sitting in front of him.

 “Oh, right. You haven’t seen Baxter before”, Xemnas spoke, looking very pleased as he sipped at his coffee. “Aqua brought him from the shelter a while ago. The boys are rather enamored with the creature.”

 “But why would she!” Xigbar exclaimed. Feeling positively betrayed, he shooed the creature away from his feet. “Hasn’t that girl learned anything his old man taught her? There wasn't but a few things I wished she’d take up after me: Never hang the Yuletide decorations before the Holiday Week, never drive a mustang and _never_ get a pet heartless!”

 “Why do you hate Baxter, grandpa?” Vanitas’ fierce golden eyes shifted to look at Xigbar.

 Xigbar couldn’t but blink at the little boy, dumbfounded expression upon his face. Gears whirring inside his brain, he wondered about what would be the most suitable way to approach the topic without resorting to blatant lying. Clearing his throat, he started carefully, “ _Hate_ is a pretty strong word to use, ‘Tas. I’m just not… overly fond of those creatures. For all we know, that thing could be contagious.”

 “He is not!” Ventus pouted with devastation, though he most likely didn’t know what the word meant in the first place. “Apologize to him at once!” The timid boy voiced surprisingly strictly. Xigbar had a feeling he’d heard that one before from Xemnas.

 “You mind helping me out with this one”, Xigbar leaned to mumble to his brother, who was openly entertained by his distress.

 “Didn’t you hear what the young one said? It appears you owe our furry friend an apology.”

 Granting his smugly smiling brother a deadly glare, Xigbar ended up swallowing his pride. Warily coaxing the creature to come closer again, he patted its head awkwardly. “See? No hard feelings between him and I.”

 Satisfied with their grandpa's display of remorse for insulting the family heartless, the boys returned their focus back on munching their dishes. It took about fifteen minutes, until there was nothing but tiny crumbs left at the bottom of the tray. Shoving their tiny hands upon the pie’s remnants, the little ones reached up to pick at the crumbs with their sticky fingers, which earned them an appalled glower from Xemnas. After licking their plates clean thoroughly, the two tiny brothers excused themselves from the table, retreating to the backyard with haste to continue on with their mischiefs.  
 Taking pity on his younger brother, Xigbar offered to help Xemnas with seeing the kitchen clean again. After all the baking tools and silverware were loaded inside the dishwasher and the floor was mostly free from sticky smears and dough scrambles, Xigbar and Xemnas settled to sit on the terrace to watch the children play. A moment of silence, that only the children’s laughter disturbed, was soon broken by Xemnas.

 “Father has been asking after you, Xigbar. He is not happy at all.”

 Wincing on reflex at the unexpected mention of their old man, a vast shadow consumed Xigbar’s high spirits immediately. For once he’d entertained a wary wish about being able to spend time among his family, without the old coot demanding his presence.

 “Is he ever?” Xigbar snorted, crossing his hands behind his neck, he leaned in his chair and hoped that the steadily increasing anxiety wasn’t too visible on him. “What does that ancient dickhead want this time?”

 Slightly frowning at his brother’s lack of respect towards the Head of the Family, Xemnas snapped with considerably harder tone, “You know perfectly well what is it he wants.” Swiftly glancing at his side to make sure the children weren’t near enough to hear the conversation, he continued, “Your little vacation in Destiny Islands is running out of time, I’m afraid.”

 “As if”, Xigbar shrugged, refusing to let his brother’s ominous words to agitate him. “The old fucker can make you his errand-boy for a change. I’ve had my fill of doing his dirty work to last a lifetime, thank you very much.”

 That earned him a humorless laugh from Xemnas. “I’d like to see you telling that to him.”

 “That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing”, Xigbar retorted, finality within his tone suggesting how a change of topic would be in order.

 “Do you see now? This is why Aqua worries about you”, Xemnas mused without a hint of letting the subject go already. “You are too reckless for your own good.”

 “Where's that girl, anyway?”

 Though Xigbar’s relationship with his daughter wasn’t without its issues, he had missed her dearly. Nevertheless how young Aqua had been when Ventus and Vanitas were born, she’d been nothing but an exceptional mother right from the start. Such praising couldn’t be directed at his own success in fatherhood, which was something Xigbar could have easily dwelled on till the end of the world if he’d allowed himself to. He had never been exactly the  _Father of the Year_  material, and though the damage had most certainly already been done with Aqua’s childhood, in a way he considered ‘Tas and Ven as a second chance to make peace with his nagging conscience. He was aware how awfully selfish his point of view on the whole situation was, but it appeared there was no helping it.

 One of the few things he did disagree with Aqua, regarding her ways of parenting, was that she was way too naïve when it came to the Head of the Family. Her loyalty to the old bastard ran way too deep, and Xigbar could tell from experience, how that would sooner or later take its toll on her relationship with Ventus and Vanitas. Being constantly surrounded by ruthless violence and unpredictable schemes was bound to change a person in the long run.

 “She went on a mission to Twilight Town few days ago, after persuading me to babysit the tiny troublemakers", Xemnas explained, sounding rather sour upon being reminded about his current task.

 Xigbar didn’t hesitate to show how displeased he was with this disclosure. His eye narrowed, dangerous and piercing as he aimed his leer on the other man. “He promised she wouldn’t have to go on them anymore.”

 “Well, not all of us can run from our responsibilities to tropical islands”, Xemnas countered with frustrating calmness, spite clear in his voice. “Some of us have work to do.”

 “I went on a mission there too, you know?”

 “It sure is taking awfully long for you to finish it.” 

 “Listen, you arrogant–“

  _“Grandpa!”_ Ventus’ shrill outcry sliced through the loaded atmosphere, thoroughly startling the quarreling adults.

 The small blond boy had climbed on a tall apple tree, apparently a bit too high for him to get down safely by himself. Baxter circled around the tree with distress, letting out sharp barks at the child’s wailing, while Vanitas cheered, demanding his brother to climb even higher, if he didn’t wish to be eaten by the vicious dog-demon.

 “I don’t like this game anymore!”

 Rushing to rescue his grandson before the child managed to fall off the feeble-looking branch, Xigbar decided strictly to discard Xemnas’ aggravating scolding for the time being. He had quite forgotten what a mistake it was to let his attention wander while keeping an eye on couple of slippery four-year olds.

 For the rest of his stay, Xemnas was considerate enough to quit roasting Xigbar for his uselessness in the art of organized crime. The scarred atmosphere wasn’t that easy to mend, however, and so the younger brother bid his goodbyes before the afternoon changed into evening.

 “Take care, brother”, Xemnas said, shifting on his feet a bit hesitantly before continuing with hushed tone, “Please remember to hold your tongue when you go to father.”

 Xigbar needed to suppress a laugh from escaping him. Surely it was crystal clear for both of them just how horrible he was at doing so. “Unlikely to happen, but I’ll see what I can do.”

 Xigbar observed from the front porch as Xemnas’ car pulled from the yard, completely oblivious of Ven’s arrival until the boy tugged at the fabric of his jeans. Casting his gaze down on the small child, Xigbar offered him a weary smile. “What is it, lil’ dude?”

 “Is he coming back very soon?” Ven asked, a serious frown upon his round face.

 “I'm pretty sure that uncle Xemmy has gotten quite enough of us for a few days", Xigbar chuckled. His younger brother sure liked to complain about the two rascals, but Xigbar knew for a fact how Xemnas would soon get bored in his lonely and quiet mansion and come back around before the week would end.

 “I’m glad he left”, the boy stated with a sigh, sounding very much like Xemnas had been the one causing trouble for him and Vanitas.

 Xigbar couldn’t help but snort at the brutal honesty. “Be nice, Ven.”

 

 After the departure of his younger brother, Xigbar felt like he could finally breathe freely. Though it had been over a month since he last visited Aqua and the lil’ dudes, he was relieved to note how the two kids were not shying away from him at all. It was a constant fear that occupied Xigbar’s mind, that they would start to treat him as a total stranger if he stayed away for too long. He had resided at the Islands’ for over a year, but every time he came to pay a visit to his daughter’s family, the welcoming he received was always warm and joyous.

 As the boys settled upon the living-room carpet to inspect the early Yuletide presents Xigbar had brought them from the Islands, he reckoned it would be as good time as any to lay down on the couch and rest his weary eye a bit. After lighting a fire in the fireplace and making sure the boys’ full attention was on their newly received presents, rather than plotting about the most effective way to cause chaos, Xigbar flopped his drained body on the couch. With a content sigh, he hoisted his legs upon the cushions and searched for a comfortable enough position to settle in.  
 The peaceful moment was cut off displeasingly short as something moist nudged at his cheek, soon followed by a pitiful whine. Opening his eye with a groan, he was greeted by the heartless’ unintelligent gaze upon him. A leathery leash hung from the creature’s mouth, which it offered persistently at Xigbar's direction.

 “Baxter wants to go for a poo-poo”, Vanitas remarked helpfully from the floor, where he and Ven were busy doodling with their brand-new crayons.

 Right. Maybe it would be wise to take the foul creature for a walk, if he didn’t wish to spend the rest of the evening cleaning the consequences…

The rest of the day went by as if it had wings, and before they noticed, it was a high time for Ven and ‘Tas to start preparing for their bedtime. Xigbar was familiar with how resentful the two could get about reasonable sleeping hours, but mercifully enough there turned out to be zero resistance from the tiny duo. The task of teeth-brushing and changing into pajamas carried out with flawless collaboration. Xigbar couldn’t remember the last time he’d read a good night story for anyone, and though he felt a bit awkward about it at the beginning, both boys listened earnestly as he stammered through the story of a Sleeping Beauty. As the happy ever-after was announced, Ven fell asleep in a span of seconds. Ever a persistent one, Vanitas kept his tired eyes open with sheer willpower.

 “Let it go, ‘Tas. Lil' troublemakers need a good night’s sleep once in a while, or else they’ll be too tired to run around and cause ruckus”, Xigbar said, gently petting the boy’s soft hair.

 “But I’m not tired!” Vanitas yawned, extending his stuffed toy heartless up at Xigbar. “And she's not either.”

 “I’m sure she is”, Xigbar chuckled, taking the toy in his hand. “What’s her name?”

 “She doesn’t have one”, Vanitas pouted, as if realizing just then what an injustice the fact was. “Can you pick her a name, grandpa?”

 “You bet I can. How about…” Inspecting the stuffed toy’s yellow button-eyes and soft, pointy antennas, he blurted out loud the first thought to cross his mind, “…Darcy?”

 “Darcy”, Vanitas repeated, as if testing how the word felt in his mouth. A satisfied smile lit up on the little boy’s drowsy face, before he finally gave in and let his eyes fall shut. “That’s a good name.”

 “Glad I could be of help.” Xigbar placed the toy back to the boy’s arms. “See ya tomorrow, ‘Tas.”

 But there was no other answer besides the tiny, even snores adding to the silence.

 Smiling to himself, Xigbar regarded his peacefully sleeping offspring; the two were so mobile during their time awake, that it was only then that he seemed to get a proper look at them. His hand lingered in air with hesitation only for a moment, before reaching to stroke their fluffy heads softly. Something constricted within his chest. They looked so much like Aqua did at their age. flinching a bit, as if something had just burned him, he brought his hand back. Turning off the night-lamp, he tiptoed his way out of the dim room. With one last look at the two snoring bundles, Xigbar closed the door behind him as quietly as he could.

 

 ***

 Xigbar stared at the looming office building before him, wanting nothing more than to turn around and power-walk his way out of its presence.

 Inhaling a deep breath, he decided not to draw out the increasing anxiety within him any longer. Blood soaring loudly in his ears, he braced himself and strolled through the revolving doors. As he took the lift all the way up to the top floor, he aspired to ease his strained nerves a bit by thinking something funny. His superior skill of getting a laugh out of every occasion, no matter how inappropriate the situation, appeared to be somewhat rusty, however. Imagining himself as an unlucky sacrifice being sent into a monster’s lair, in order to keep the beast pleased enough to not devour anyone else, was way too accurate to be of much amuse. He could talk big about rebelling against his father all he wanted, but in all reality, dealing with the vicious bastard wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Not even for Xigbar.  
 The beat of an uninspiring elevator music bouncing about the small space fueled his distress even more, as it brought back rather vivid memories of his previous visits there.

 With a soft note, the lift opened up its doors. Xigbar made his way hesitantly along the desolated, maze-like corridors. He had memorized the road by his heart, and it didn’t take long until he found himself facing an all too familiar plain-white office door. There was nothing quite special about it, as it seemed completely identical to dozens of other doors alongside it. The only way it varied from its neighbors, was how the room’s supposed number was replaced with an  ** _X_.**

 Straightening his posture, Xigbar grasped the door handle. Within seconds, his thoughts worked through a familiar mantra: _Lock your mind_. _Lock your heart_.  _Hide the key._

 Not bothering to knock first, Xigbar waltzed to the room. It was a plain, colorless space with high glass-ceiling and enormous windows that concealed the back wall almost completely. The white mosaic floor had been spotless, until Xigbar strolled inside with his muddy boots he hadn’t deemed necessary to brush from the dirt first.

 “Oh, shoot. You’re still alive.” Flopping himself on a chair in front of a clinically neat office desk, Xigbar didn’t hesitate helping himself to the whiskey decanter standing upon it. “Haven’t you bothered us enough? Cut it out and kick the bucket already.”

 An old, frail-looking man stood by the window, his back turned to Xigbar. Hands folded behind his cranky back, as he observed the view opening up before him, he didn’t seem startled by Xigbar’s unannounced arrival. “You would like that very much, wouldn’t you?”

 “I would”, Xigbar shrugged, pouring his glass full without a shame.

 “Foolish boy.” Turning from the window, the man let out a weary sigh. “I should box your ears for talking to me like that.”

 “How tame”, Xigbar sneered around his glass of golden-red liquid. The burn on his tongue felt reassuring, giving him a somewhat grounding sense about being in control of the situation. “I recall you’ve done way worse than that.”

 The old man laughed at that. Xigbar refused to let the sound of it to get under his skin. “What other choice did you left me? You were not an easy child to deal with.”

 “Oh, yeah. Your attempts to beat the difficult out of me were such a success.”

 “The blame is on me, I must admit”, said the old man, as if they were talking about the weather. He walked towards the desk with surprisingly graceful movements. “It appears I have been too gentle.” A pained wince flashed through the man’s face as he attempted to take a seat at the other side of the desk. He could taunt Xigbar as much as he pleased, but that didn’t change the fact how he was nothing but a bitter old man, whose mind and body were already starting to wilt away.

 “That’s pretty high and mighty, coming from an old crank like you”, Xigbar chuckled. Launching the spiteful words back at his old man brought nearly ecstatic pleasure to him. Still, he acknowledged the distant sound of alarm screeching somewhere inside him, warning him to not get too carried away. He couldn’t afford to let his bitterness to get the best of him, that would be playing right into the bastard’s hands.

 “As entertaining as I find this conversation, I am afraid I did not summon you here to reminisce about the old times.” There was a moment of silence, while the old man searched his pocket. Lighting up a thick cigar, his piercing stare on Xigbar didn’t waver. “The Islands had kept you quite busy.”

 “Sure. Dealing with your messes while trying to run a business ain’t all fun and games.”

 “Of course.” Pair of golden eyes glinted as the curtain of smoke cleared. “Your little make-believe game is quite a performance, I hear.”

 Xigbar froze only for a second. He had a grim feeling about where this was going. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 “You forget, my boy, I have eyes and ears everywhere.” He seemed to savor every word, searching Xigbar’s face intently, as if anticipating for the moment his witty façade would finally cave in for good. “It has come into my knowledge, that you have been distracted from your true purpose there.”

 “I don’t need a fucking babysitter”, Xigbar blurted back before he could help it. His grip on the emptied whiskey glass tightening, he could feel how the urge to let his fist collide with the bastard’s face was about to become way too tempting to resist. He concluded it was probably wise to make his retreat soon, before he did something irreversible. “I’ve been doing your dirty laundry for a goddamn year. And frankly, I’ve had quite enough of it by now.”

 “You have changed”, the old man remarked. There was an eerie undertone to his blank voice, one that Xigbar didn’t like at all. “And not for the better, it seems.”

 “That’s it”, Xigbar retorted, clanking the glass hard upon the desk, he rose from his seat. “I'm not gonna sit around and listen to this bullshit anymore.” The journey to the door felt like it took a lifetime. Tingly, numb sensations skittered along his skin as he felt the eyes on his back taking in his every movement. “I have a flight to catch and business to tend to.”

 “It’s because of that boy, is it not?”

 His hand already pressing down the door handle, Xigbar halted right where he stood. Too anxious to turn around, as he was certain the answer was written all over his face.

 “What?”

 “That delightful young man, whose company you’ve enjoyed lately. I fear he has a bad influence on you.”

 And just like that, his wriggling self-control slipped away from his grasp. In a snap, Xigbar was across the room and onto the old man, hoisting him up the wall by the collar of his suit. There wasn’t a hint of humor left within his stormy expression as he tightened his grip and brought the man’s face under his looming gaze. “I wouldn’t go there if I were you, old man.” 

 “Now, that’s my boy!” A deranged grin crossed the man’s face, as if the reaction was just what he’d been looking for. “Perhaps I was wrong, after all. Maybe he is just the motivation you need.”

 All reason fleeing his mind, blinding shades of red-hot fury took a hold of Xigbar. Far beyond controlling the overflowing rage boiling inside him, he threw the older man upon the desk, knocking the whiskey decanter and the glasses set next to it to the ground as he did so. Sharp crash of shattering glass rang about the room as Xigbar loaded his fist, ready to smash the infuriating smirk off the man’s face. “You lay a finger on him, Xehanort, and I swear –“

 “Oh, but I am afraid your request might be a bit late.” Golden eyes glinted with twisted glee as they observed Xigbar’s self-control grumbling right before them. Despite his notable physical disadvantage in the occurring confrontation, Xigbar’s heated reaction seemed to only fuel the venom in his words. “I suggest you hurry up and go see if your little plaything is still where you left him.”

 Xigbar’s fist smashed against the man’s face, followed by a sickening crunch as the bridge of his nose was molded into a whole new figure. His face turning sideways as a result of the powerful impact, dark-red blood dripped from Xehanort’s damaged nose and upon the marble-white desk. Xigbar released his hold of the man with a wince, as if only then realizing what he’d just done.

 Xehanort’s smile didn’t falter. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, the old man wiped at his bloodied face. “There you go”, he mused, seemingly thrilled about his success in driving Xigbar over the edge. “Embrace that fury inside you and unleash it upon our enemies.”

 Xigbar shivered at the words. It was as if the old lunatic was proud of him for disfiguring his nose.

 “I’ll unleash way worse upon you, if you keep talking shit like that”, Xigbar growled through gritted teeth, throwing a warning glare at the smirking old man holding his nose with blood-stained cloth. Turning on his heel, Xigbar stormed out of the room and past some important-looking gentlemen in fancy suits waiting outside the door, who gaped at him with open bewilderment. His pulse pounding rapidly in his ears, only one thought raced with head-spinning circles around Xigbar’s mind.

 He needed to get back to Destiny Islands as fast as possible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no explanation for why Ventus and Vanitas look so much like Sora and Roxas in this story but let's just ignore it, ok? Good!
> 
> Anyway, here's how Baxter looks like:
> 
> https://images.khinsider.com/Kingdom%20Hearts%20II/Artwork/Concept%20Art/Full%20Spreads/Rabid%20Dog.jpg


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I would really like nothing more than to wrap this story up, but life keeps getting in the way! I've also been busy playing KH3. Not gonna spoiler anyone, but I think I had a small heart-attack the first time Xigbar showed up :D
> 
> This chapter contains mild violence, so watch out for that.

* * *

 

 

 Demyx jumped on his seat, as the car behind him sounded out a sharp honk.

 He wanted to scream from frustration, but the steadily growing distress prevented him from voicing out nothing but a pained groan. As if it was somehow his fault the red lights were taking their sweet time at that particular crossroad! Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Demyx took a deep breath, aiming to psych out the nagging irritation gnawing at his nerves. He was very tempted to surrender to his immature urge and honk right back at the bright-yellow land rover lurking at his tail, but decided against it in the end. It was way too early to give in to the road rage just yet, since there were still about six miles left to drive until he’d even reach Axel’s part of town.

 Borrowing his beloved car had been very kind thing of Lex to do, although Demyx dared to guess the man would have probably thought his decision twice, had he been more familiar with the nature of his driving-skills. Or rather the lack of them.  
 Sure, Demyx had his license, but that didn’t necessarily mean he still remembered much more besides how to start the engine and keep the vehicle on the right lane. It had been a trial of sweat and tears, but in the end he’d managed to struggle himself successfully through the driving school back in Traverse Town. That was about eight years ago, though, and Demyx was fairly certain, how all his fingers and toes would be enough to count all the occasions he’d sat behind a steering wheel after that.

 He wasn’t quite sure what kind of madness had taken a hold of him, when he’d accepted Lex’s offer to lend the car for him, while he and Zexion were away in the neighboring island’s countryside. As petty as it may have been, Demyx got to admit how Zexion’s resentful reaction to the idea might have played a vital role in his decision making. For a guy who liked to present himself as cool as a cucumber, his best friend could be such a nervous wreck at times.

 What did Zexion know, anyway? The guy didn’t even have a license! Just because Demyx had knocked over the line of mailboxes at Zex’s parents’ neighborhood that one time, didn’t make it anyone’s death sentence to let him drive once in a while. Also, that was a long time ago, and though he didn’t consider vehicles of any sort to really be his thing in the first place, sending the peaceful suburban’s mailboxes flying remained to be the only accident Demyx’s driving had caused… to that point at least.

 As the traffic light turned green for him, Demyx continued to speed off the narrow city lane and towards the highway. He breathed out an earnest _phew_. Now he didn’t have to do anything, except keep the car moving with proper speed and be sure to turn at the right highway ramp. Moogle Maps instructed him to head forward for a few miles, and then something he didn’t quite catch, as his phone started ringing and buzzing just then.

 Demyx nearly sent the car flying right through the barrier and off the bridge he was currently crossing, as Xigbar’s name flashed on his phone’s screen.

 His heart smashed against his chest so suddenly, and with such brutal force that it made him see nothing but white for a fleeting second. His hold on the steering wheel started to feel slippery and sweaty, but he gripped it even harder and willed his eyes to stay on the road ahead. _So, now you want to talk?_

 Had his mind been in the same place as week ago, Demyx would have pulled the car to the side in a snap and answered the phone without a second thought. A lot can happen in a week, though. After successfully making a complete fool of himself by calling and messaging Xigbar in vain with nearly desperate pace, the heartache had made his feelings go around a full circle, making yet again more space for anger and bitterness. If Xigbar really thought, that Demyx would be ready to forget all the hurt and humiliation he had put him through just like that, he was in for a big surprise. Oh, no. It was about time the One-Eyed Asshole got a taste of his own medicine.

 As the phone’s buzzing finally ceased, a heavy, sickening lump dropped at the bottom of Demyx’s stomach. He reached to wipe the moist from his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket so hard, it left colorful dots playing on his vision. How was he supposed to face Axel, let alone a cheery crowd of party guests now? He absolutely didn’t want to go and ruin Luxord’s Yuletide party with his puffy eyes and frowning face.

 The rest of the drive went as if he was in a daze. Demyx had visited Axel’s place few times before, and after the busy highway was left behind, the surroundings started to look familiar enough that he didn’t need the Moogle Maps telling him which direction to go anymore.

 Demyx soared at the parking-lot of Axel’s apartment building. He stopped the car and leaned back his heavy head, listening to the silence for a while. Closing his eyes, he willed his breaths to come in and out evenly. He would not cry. He would step off this car, go to get Axel, and then they would head to the party, where they would have _fun_. Shedding tears for nasty assholes was so last week.

 After taking a brief look of himself from the rear-view mirror, Demyx exited the car. Luckily his eyes weren’t as red as he had feared, and should anyone ask what was the matter with him, he could always blame it on an allergy of some sort.

 Demyx made his way across the vast, neatly kept courtyard and to the part of the building where Axel’s apartment was located. As he arrived before the door number _8,_ he hastily wiped at the corners of his eyes one more time, to make sure there wouldn’t be any traces left to refer at his worked-up state. Just when his finger pressed down to ring the doorbell, the door swung open in a swift movement, its corner only barely missing Demyx’s forehead. With a startled yelp, Demyx jumped from its way. A man with long blue hair stared down on him, looking a bit taken aback upon finding Demyx behind the door.

 “H-hello! And happy Yuletide!” Demyx squeaked, sinking under the judging leer. “Saïx, wasn’t it? I'm–“

 “I know who you are”, the man scoffed with icy tone, eyeing Demyx from head to toe, as if he were a particularly nasty bug, he’d like nothing more than to crush with the sole of his shoe. Demyx didn’t have time to come up with an answer for the indifferent remark, as the man glided past him without a second glance at his direction. “Your turn to put up with that imbecile. I’m quite done with listening his whining.”

 Strands of blue hair swaying behind his back, Saïx strode down the staircase and out of Demyx’s sight, the sharp echo of his steps bouncing all around the reverberating staircase. Demyx blinked a few times, not quite sure about what just happened.

 “Demyx, is that you?” Axel’s voice carried from somewhere inside, snapping Demyx back from his dumbfounded state. “Come on in, man. I’m kinda in the middle of something here.”

 Following the request, Demyx entered the apartment. Axel’s household may have been newer and of better quality compared to his and Zex’s, but his frankly nonexistent interest for interior design and decorating made the place look pretty much like there was some sort of auction going on. The old-fashioned, worn out furniture kind of reminded Demyx of all those summer vacations he’d spent at his grandma’s place as a child. The sentiment did lose some of its authenticity, as Demyx soon found himself at the living-room’s entrance. It looked as if Axel’s wardrobe had vomited all its contents right there on the living-room floor.

 “So, let me guess”, Demyx mused, hopping his way through the minefield of fabric to flop on the couch. “Saïx did a hasty exit because he didn’t feel like helping you with the last-minute Yuletide cleaning?”

 “Well, that's one way to put it”, Axel grumbled from behind the partly open door, where more garments of happy shades of black emerged to land to cover the floor. “Sorry for the delay, Dem”, Axel sighed, his head popping behind the door. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you asked me for your avec, but I’m not really used to spending time in such fancy company. What are you even supposed to wear for an occasion like that?”

 “You’re overthinking it, Axel. A right kind of attitude and a healthy amount of pompousness is all we need. Besides, it’s Luxord we’re talking about. He’s a surprisingly down-to-earth kind of guy once you get to know him better.”

 Truth to be told, Demyx was fairly certain he felt just as self-conscious as Axel did. He didn’t wish to provoke Axel’s fashion crisis furthermore by exposing his own uncertainty, though, since he doubted nothing good would come from it if they both started to worry whether they appeared too peasant-like to blend in with Luxord and his prosperous friends. To look on the bright side, it wasn’t exactly a lie he’d just voiced out. Luxord might have been a bit arrogant about his freshly leveled up status, but Demyx knew for certain how he would never look down on him or his friends because of that.

 “I guess I’ll take your word for that”, Axel said, once again diving back to the room to rummage around his wardrobe. “Give me five more minutes and I’m all set.”

 “No need to sweat”, Demyx chuckled, leaning back against the couch with his hands folded behind his neck. “We’ll appear too eager if we get there the minute the party starts. Let them wait a bit, I say.”

 “Fashionably late”, Axel laughed. “I like how you’re thinking.”

 Demyx’s own laugh got stuck in his throat, as his phone went off in his pocket. Too afraid to even budge, he settled with just lying there upon the ochre-yellow cushions to stare at emptiness, focus keenly on holding back his primitive need to just pry the phone from his pocket to see if it was Xigbar trying to reach him again. After a painstakingly long while, the buzzing finally ceased. Demyx sucked in a long, wavering breath.

 “Ok, ok, but honest opinion”, Axel babbled, parading out of the room with a twirl and extending his hands dramatically, “I hope it’s not too much? It's a Yuletide party after all, so I figured going a bit festive wouldn’t hurt, and— woah! Are you alright?” Axel gasped as soon as he got an eyeful of Demyx lying face up on the couch like a dead body in a coffin.

 Slowly turning his blank face at Axel’s direction, Demyx was disoriented enough that a choked laugh flew off his mouth before he was able to suppress it. This had to be what losing your mind altogether must feel like. His heart was torn in between the hurtful yearning and righteous anger towards the One-Eyed Asshole, but at the same time the sight of Axel in his acid-green suit and brightly flickering bowtie had to be one of the funniest things he’d ever laid his eyes on.

 “Surely it’s not that horrible?” Axel laughed nervously, a worried frown dawning on his face. He probably figured, how Demyx’s sudden mood drop had little to do with his questionable fashion choices, but he was kind enough to not be too upfront about it. His lanky form and bushy red hair put a finishing touch to his peculiar appearance, making him look like a very distressed Yuletide tree.

 “Axel, that’s–” Demyx’s voice came out with a noise best described as something between snivel and snort. It must have been a weird thing to witness, since he himself wasn’t certain if he was about to burst into some very ugly crying or an uproar of laughter. Based on Axel’s freaked out expression, neither was he. “That’s such an amazing look.”

 

***

 Demyx parked the car next to the sidewalk nearby Luxord’s manor, its façade and yard heavily decorated with Yuletide lights so outrageously bright that Demyx could already feel a headache coming on. Despite the chaotic flood of feelings and thoughts raveling through him, he felt pleasantly surprised about managing to navigate them all the way to their destination so smoothly.

 “He’s been a wreck about it too, you know”, Axel voiced out suddenly.

 “Come again?”

 “I’m talking about Xigbar”, Axel spoke carefully. “He’s been a one uptight asshole ever since the whole thing that happened to you guys. I tell you, just last week he was this close to committing a homicide when he caught Marly taking selfies on his opening shift. It’s basically a hell on earth working there nowadays.”

 “That man”, Demyx groaned, hitting his forehead so hard against the car’s horn that a loud honk sounded out. He'd thought the confusion and anger boiling within him couldn’t possibly get any more intense, but it seemed he’d underestimated Xigbar’s ability to find a way to bug him, even when he wasn’t present. “He shouldn’t take his anger out on others! It’s no one else’s fault that he’s a selfish idiot with an empathic capacity of a rubber duck.”

 “I hear you”, Axel released a long sigh, giving Demyx a sympathetic smile with a hint of cheekiness, as he nodded towards the vibrations carrying yet again from Demyx’s pocket. “So, I guess there’s no chance you’d answer that and spare us from his wrath?”

 “Not one”, Demyx confirmed, scowling at Axel. He knew the man didn’t mean to be inconsiderate, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt that he’d saw it necessary to blurt something like that out, even if it was meant to be partly a joke.

 “Aren’t you curious about what he's got to say?” Axel kept insisting, starting to sound a little impatient. “He might just surprise you.”

 As ready as Demyx had been to let his friend’s inquisitive behavior slide, there was only so much nosiness he was willing to tolerate at the moment. No matter how good the intention, he was so sick and tired of people treating him as a helpless pushover, who couldn’t be trusted to make his own decisions.

 “So, what you’re saying is, that after I’ve been calling and messaging him in vain for over a week like the desperate idiot that I am, the moment he deems it necessary to acknowledge my existence, I should just bend over backwards and let him have his way?” His mouth felt dry and bitter after the words flooded out. They came out sounding harsher than he’d meant to, but he refused to feel guilty for standing behind his words.

 “That’s not it, I just”, Axel hurried to explain. It wasn’t hard to conclude, that Demyx’s defensive reaction had taken him by surprise. "I’m not defending his actions, but I think you should know that he’s got his reasons.”

 “Oh yes, I know this one. An edgy anti-hero with a tragic backstory, who thinks that gives him a free ticket to act like a major ass to everyone around him. Sorry, but I’m not buying it.” Grinding his teeth together so hard his jaw ached, Demyx was aware how his bitterness was edging him towards being totally unreasonable, but he really didn’t give a damn about that at the moment.

 “Yeah, you’re right. It’s not my place to meddle in you guys’ businesses, anyway. I’m really sorry, man”, Axel muttered, lanky form slumping in defeat. His miserable frown struck a rather amusing contrast to the happily blinking bowtie around his neck. Demyx kind of felt like throwing the man to hang among Luxord’s extravagant Yuletide decorations. He would make a perfect addition to the eye-hurting display, for sure.

 “Apology accepted,” Demyx declared quickly, anxious that Axel would come up with a new way to get up on his case if they didn’t exit the car soon. “Now that we’re all set in the party mood, I think it’s about time we headed inside.”

 “Great, now I’ve ruined your Yuletide”, Axel pouted with anguish, as he observed Demyx’s sullen demeanor. “And the _Friend of the Year_  award goes to…”

 “Knock it off, Axel”, Demyx groaned. Flying the door open, he pried himself out of the car. The humid and fresh evening air felt soothing against his warm face. Taking in a deep breath, he braced himself for the night ahead of him. He could do this. Much like playing his guitar in front of an applauding audience, partying with a bunch of strangers came to him just as naturally. He would simply flick back on his happy-go-lucky mode and charm his way through all the lighthearted socializing. Nothing he hadn’t done before. “Just promise that we don’t have to talk about that asshat anymore and I’ll be just dandy.”

 “From the bottom of my heart”, Axel sighed.

 As they approached the mansion’s grand, lit up front-porch, merry sounds of laughter and music carried from an open window. Warmth of the retreated sun still lingered in the evening air, but the forecast had predicted the night would be rainy and windy, which Demyx guessed was the reason for why the party seemed to be concentrated mainly indoors. Adjusting his hold on the champagne bottle and a velvety pouch of gingerbread (that had ended up a bit too crisp around the corners), Demyx was starting to feel slightly unnerved over his humble offerings. Though Luxord had assured him that he had no need for presents of any kind, and Demyx simply bringing himself would be a gift enough, the idea of showing up empty-handed had felt way too impolite. It wasn’t easy coming up with a gift for a man who'd probably be able to buy pretty much whatever he desired, but Demyx wanted to think it was the gesture itself that mattered the most.

 “Look at us now, Destiny Islands' two most eligible bachelors on and about!” Playful smirk breaking on his face, Axel nudged Demyx with his elbow.

 “Having the time of our lives.” Demyx rolled his eyes, shoving the redhead right back with his shoulder.

 Though he still felt moderately sour about Axel sticking his nose where it wasn’t needed, his childlike excitement for the upcoming event made it hard to stay mad at him for too long. As Demyx reached to ring the doorbell, he wondered if the soft, melodious sound would be heard through the cacophony of noises coming from inside. He got his answer almost instantly upon his finger pressed the button down, as the vast double door was opened up and they were greeted by the sight of a brightly smiling, carefully groomed gentleman in a crimson-red suit.

 “Darling, you made it!” Luxord exclaimed, grey-blue eyes twinkling as he swept Demyx in his arms in a jubilant hug, with such vivid motion that Demyx’s feet left the ground. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you, it’s been a dull few hours without you here.”

 Patting the other man awkwardly on his back, Demyx attempted to subtly wiggle himself free from the suffocating squeeze, while doing his best to keep the champagne bottle and gingerbread-pouch from dropping to the ground. “Lux, you’re ruining my hair”, Demyx let out a muffled groan, struggling to keep his head off the man’s chest in order to shield his mohawk from any further damage.

 “Right, right.” Settling Demyx back on his feet, Luxord scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his cheekbones catching a light shade of pink. “Do forgive me, darling. It appears simply the sight of you is a thrill enough to get me carried away.”

 Following the interaction between the two, the confused frown on Axel’s face was suddenly gone, as his face lit up with realization. Rising his brows subtly, he flashed Demyx a teasing smirk.

 “Oh, that’s right!” Demyx exclaimed abruptly, starting to feel anxious being caught in the purgatory of Axel’s observing eyes and Luxord’s somewhat invasive ogling. “Lux, this is my friend, Axel. He’s the drummer in our band.”

 “Ah! How rude of me to not introduce myself”, Luxord said with a dramatic gasp, turning his surprised face to Axel, as if noticing the redhead's presence only then. Extending his hand to the other man, Luxord greeted him with carefully constructed politeness. “Pleased to meet you, Axel. I must say, your attire this evening is… most fabulous.”

 “You think? Thanks, man!” Axel beamed at the compliment as they shook hands, oblivious to its likely hidden meaning. “Always a pleasure to meet a guy with such an awesome taste.”

 Relieved about being no longer the center of the unsought attention, Demyx felt the stiffness of his body starting to relax. “And here’s a little something for our honorable host”, he said, offering the bottle and gingerbread-pouch for Luxord. “I know it’s not much, but we thought it’d be fair to get you something, since you were kind enough to save our Yuletide from the bottomless pit of boredom.”

 Luxord blinked in astonishment as he inspected his newly received gifts. Just when Demyx was starting to fret whether they were too modest for Lux's tastes after all, his dumbfounded expression melted into a coy smile. “Oh, Dem, you are being way too sweet. This actually happens to be one of my all-time favorite brands”, he stumbled through his words, admiring the objects he was gifted with like he’d never before held something so valuable in his own two hands.

 “Really? I’m not exactly an expert with this kind of stuff, so I just kinda picked a bottle with the coolest picture on it”, Demyx admitted. Surely no beverage with picture of a shadow riding in a hot air balloon on its label couldn’t taste too bad.

 “Figured as much”, Luxord laughed out briskly, even his eyes seemed to smile as they lingered on Demyx once again. It seemed he'd already forgotten Axel’s presence altogether, which honestly couldn’t have been too easy, considering the atrocious look he was rocking that evening. “But enough with the loitering already! Come now, the party’s waiting.”

 

***

 Demyx couldn’t decide whether to describe his current state of mind as unnerved or annoyed, but he was inevitably edging towards the latter option.

 Snatching his fifth non-alcoholic glass of sparkling cider from a waitress’ tray as she passed by, he chugged the drink down in a span of seconds. The absence of the burn on his tongue felt disappointing; he was really starting regret his decision to drive that night. Perhaps the comforting state of tipsiness would’ve helped him to ignore the nagging awareness about a pair of incessant eyes tracking down his every movement. Aiming to catch his stalker off guard, Demyx turned swiftly to look over his shoulder, shooting him the harshest glare he could muster.

 This weirdness had been going on for a past few hours; whether Demyx visited the bathroom or went outside to get some fresh air, Xaldin’s distinguishable form was bound to be spotted from somewhere nearby, his eyes never straying from Demyx for too long. He must have thought he was being very subtle with his bothersome gaping.

 The moment his eyes first landed on the brawny man that night, Demyx’s first instinct had been to dive under the long buffet table and crawl his way out of the building. He’d ended up being reasonable enough to not do that, as it became evident that Xigbar wasn’t there with Xaldin.

 The unwelcomed prowling had been way easier to ignore, while Demyx had been busy socializing with Axel and Luxord, but after a brief visit to the bathroom, both his friends seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Last he saw them, Axel had been busy at the plentiful buffet table, stuffing his mouth full with variety of fancy dishes like he’d never seen food before, while Luxord was deep in conversation with some of his fellow gamblers. Demyx had tried to follow the exchange out of politeness for a while, but had soon lost his interest to the tiresome jabbering about some new casino that was opening in downtown. So, he had decided to explore the house a little before he’d fall asleep on his feet.

 But now, with both Luxord and Axel at who knew where, Demyx was distressingly aware of the lingering leer on him. At least Xaldin had the audacity to flinch and look a bit ashamed upon getting caught red-handed. He shifted his attention swiftly to the phone in his hand, which he began to tap very intently, as if he hadn’t just seconds ago ogled Demyx like he’d just grown an extra head. Demyx felt his face heating from nervousness. What in the world was that guy's problem? Maybe Xigbar had badmouthed Demyx to him, causing Xaldin to dislike him in aftermath.

 Biting at his lower lip, Demyx felt his stomach sank. That must have been it. Why else would the man scowl at him in such hostile way, as if Demyx’s mere presence there was an insult to him? He was probably messaging Xigbar right now, reporting Demyx’s every movement so they could have a laugh at him...

 Forget annoyed, Demyx was furious!

 Forcefully swallowing the pressure down his throat, he handed his emptied glass to the waitress once again, rudely disregarding her question whether he’d like another one, as he started to briskly stomp his way towards Xaldin. Bushy black eyebrows shooting up in shock, Xaldin’s head turned wildly around, as if looking for a place to hide. Demyx zigzagged his way through the sea of happily chatting party guests, all the while his mind went through variety of accusations he prepared to throw at the man. Only he never managed to get that far, as Luxord interrupted his journey by materializing in front of him.

 “Darling, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Have you been hiding from me?” The man sang out, looking as if he was about to smother Demyx once again in a crushing embrace. Demyx didn’t need but take a one step back to send him floundering onwards and almost trip on his feet. “Whoops, seems like the housekeeping staff forgot to dry the floors properly. Good for nothing sluggards, the lot of them”, Luxord slurred, the amount of liquor he’d consumed making the words stretched and clumsy.

 “Whoa, carefully!” Demyx caught the man by his shoulders before he managed to fall nose first to the floor, almost collapsing under the slackened weight of him. His hands itched to just shove the wobbling man out of his way. He had already worked himself up by running his mind through all the things he was about to let Xaldin know, and at the moment Luxord was but an unfortunate obstacle for the righteous anger boiling within him. “A bit too much juice to drink, had you, Lux?”

 “Me? Don’t be absurd”, Luxord snorted. Finally reclaiming his balance, Luxord adjusted the wrinkled fabric of his suit. A thoughtful expression settled upon his woozy face as his dazed eyes tried to steady their focus on Demyx. “Dem, there’s something I've been wanting to tell you. I think I'm-”

 “Can it wait?” Demyx snapped without thinking, wincing at the harshness of his own voice. “I mean, I was just… searching for my phone! I must’ve dropped it somewhere in the house and just can’t figure out where. Silly me!” Demyx felt his face heating up by his hasty lie, but it was too late to back down with it now.

 “Well, we can’t have that, now can we”, Luxord said, his disappointed pout easing by Demyx's explanation. “Shall I help you find it?”

 "That’d be so nice! Thanks, Lux, you’re the best.” That being said, Demyx retreated quickly from the man’s presence, conscience screaming loudly in his ears. The truth was that he’d left his phone in the car on purpose, as he’d figured it would do no good for his already compromised party mood to get constantly reminded about the existence of a certain asshole.

 Due to Luxord’s unfortunate interference, Xaldin had been granted enough time to escape. Demyx cursed under his breath, his eyes scanning around the vast area, consisting of both dining hall and living-room. One would think that a man like Xaldin wouldn’t be too hard to spot from the crowd, but apparently Demyx had underestimated his slyness. How ironic was it, that after hours of stalking him shamelessly, the moment Demyx wanted to find Xaldin, the man was suddenly nowhere to be seen?

 Head reeling from the heavy weight of all the unsaid things he’d been so ready to pour out, Demyx found himself craving fresh air.

 He made his way to the transparent sliding doors and entered the colorfully decorated backyard. A wave of relief washed over him as he closed the doors behind him, the lively sound of laughter and music softening into distant murmuring. Demyx stepped down the wooden terrace and onto the moist grass. The bright, blinking lights seemed to surround the extensive yard from nearly every direction; they hung above the terrace like a rainbow-colored snake, chained around an enormous palm tree at the back of the yard, trailed all around the flower beds at the buildings feet and even the roof was covered with a net of wildly blinking color-spectrum. He guessed it all looked pretty, in its own psychedelic way. Although the blinding sight could’ve easily given a seizure to someone with the right kind of condition.

 He walked by the side of an illuminated swimming pool, its tenderly wavering surface glimmering under the colorful brightness. There was no sign of rain yet, but the gentle breeze brushing through the yard was starting to rise into gusts of wind. Making an effort to breath in and out calmly as he could, Demyx felt completely drained from the roller-coaster ride of varying thoughts and emotions, that had taken turns bothering him for the entire evening so far. He wondered whether it would be too rude to take his leave yet, as he was very much done with being the punchline of what he supposed was Xaldin’s idea of a joke.

 Aside from Demyx, there was only a group of three women in the backyard, smoking thin cigarettes and talking with soft, calm voices. So, when the sliding door was wrenched open with enough force to make its hinges screech and glass to rattle, Demyx nearly jumped off his skin. Reflexively turning his head at the sound, his heart launched itself straight against his sternum.

 “Demyx”, Xigbar drew in a sharp breath as soon as his bewildered gaze landed on Demyx. Hearing the man speaking his name with such desperate tone nearly made Demyx’s legs give out under him. “For hell’s sake, Demyx!”

 Thoroughly stunned by the unexpected turn of events, Demyx was left gaping dumbly as Xigbar rushed to scoop his languid body in his arms. It all felt so absurd and unreal, causing all of Demyx's vengeful thoughts from earlier to crash and scatter at his feet.

 “Xigbar, what the–“

 “Damn, it's good to see you in one piece”, Xigbar released a heavy sigh next to Demyx’s ear, leaning to bury his face flush against the crook of his neck. “You stopped calling me, then you didn’t answer when I tried to reach you, and I thought, _oh god_ , I thought…“ Xigbar’s grip remained firmly on Demyx’s shoulders as he pulled apart enough to study his face, single golden eye wild and widened as it scanned him carefully. “Never mind that now, you’re okay and that’s all that matters. C’mon, let’s get outta here, I’ll explain everything once we’re a safe distance away from this gaudy shitshow.”

 “Oh, of course. I see how it is”, Demyx let out a dry laugh, wrenching sharply away from Xigbar’s grip. It wasn’t easy to disregard how wrong it felt on so many levels, to flinch away from the arms of the man he’d yearned to be close again, but he wasn’t about to give in that easily. It was a high time someone let the arrogant bastard know he couldn’t say and do whatever stupid shit he pleased, and then expect everyone else to just roll with it. “First you get to fire me, ignore me, humiliate me and then come back to me when it’s convenient for you. How silly of me to even think otherwise.”

 “I didn't–” Xigbar sputtered, extending his hand towards the younger man, who merely crossed his arms and glowered at him expectantly. “Look, I know it was a shitty way to handle the situation, but you gotta understand me, I only did what I thought was best for you.”

 “You don’t get to decide that”, Demyx retorted, clenching his fists tightly at his side. He hoped the anger he put on display would be enough to suppress his wayward urge to give in and throw himself back into Xigbar’s arms. “I’m not some fucking child, Xigbar.”

 “You still don’t get it, do you?” Taking few unsure steps towards Demyx, Xigbar was clearly trying to keep his temper in check, though Demyx could already see traces of steadily growing frustration on his darkened face. “This is not a game anymore. Listen, this is serious–“

 “No, Xigbar, you will listen to me for a change!” It was like his feet were moving by their own will, as he suddenly found himself darting before the other man, rising his furious aquamarine eyes to meet Xigbar’s dumbstruck expression. Demyx had never considered himself very violent at nature, and so he was surprised, if not a bit alarmed by his ambivalent urge to both punch the stupid frown from the man’s face and kiss him hard enough to break his lip. “You can’t just waltz in here and expect that I’m willing to even talk to you! How come you get to just throw all those horrible words at me and let me make a complete fool out of myself, before finally deciding I’m worth your while at the end of the day? I bet you and Xaldin got a good laugh from listening me wail on all those voicemails I sent you.”

 “I would never–“ Xigbar hissed with a grimace, as if the thought alone was enough to cause him physical pain.

 “You know what? Whatever. I’m through with letting you make me feel like a piece of crap.” He hated how small and strained his voice sounded, but at least he’d said it. Now the only obstacle left was to keep his head. Turning on his heel, he prepared to make his way back inside. “Goodbye, Xigbar.”

 “No, don’t walk away from me”, Xigbar’s voice snapped from behind, desperate and thick as his hand reached to grab Demyx by the wrist.

 Demyx’s heart clenched at the touch, the memory of their first shared kiss that one night at The Oblivion suddenly vivid and fresh in his mind’s eye. A surprised gasp escaped him, as he was twirled around and brought back under Xigbar’s hooded gaze. Trying to wrench his hand away from the grasp turned out to be in vain, as the unyielding grip only tightened at that. Demyx bit his lip to prevent a whine of undoubtedly questionable nature flying off his mouth. Heat rushing to his cheeks, he cursed at his own weakness. His libido couldn’t have possibly picked more improper time to get excited over such things.

 “Let go of me”, Demyx hissed between his teeth. He wasn’t really trying to flee anymore, but hell if he was going to let Xigbar know that. He was remotely aware of the three women nearby the terrace whispering and aiming suspicious looks at them, but concluded the time to get embarrassed over that would come later.

 “Sorry, but I’m not planning on making the same mistake twice.”

 “Sounds like a load of bullshit to me”, Demyx snorted mockingly. He could feel the agitation making him childish and irrational, but knowing he was able to arouse such strong reactions in Xigbar, the exhilarating power of it felt like a drug to him.

 “Goddammit, just hear me out for a second!“

 “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Luxord popped in the middle of the scene seemingly out of nowhere, shoving Xigbar’s shoulder with enough force to make the man stagger backwards and almost fall on his bum. “Are you alright, Dem?” Turning his worried eyes at a very dumbfounded Demyx standing behind his back, Luxord placed himself between him and Xigbar.

 “I, uh, yes?” Demyx stuttered, his clouded head not really registering the sudden twist in the occurring event just yet.

 “Piss off, prep”, Xigbar snarled upon recovering from Luxord’s surprise attack, stepping to loom before the blond-haired man. He wasn’t that much taller than Luxord, but his intimidating demeanor and stormy aura made the other man appear small and harmless in comparison to him. “This has nothing to do with you.”

 “It bloody well has if you keep harassing my friends!” Luxord spat back, challenging the other man's hostile leer without a flinch.

 “Wait!  _What?”_ Demyx managed to finally break out of his trance and rushed to pry the two men off each other's throats. “No, no, no! This is a big misunderstanding, no one is harassing anyone here, Lux! We were just talking!”

 Luxord gave him a pitying look, as if Demyx wasn’t but a helpless victim, too weak-minded to stand up to himself. “This brute isn’t worthy of your kindness, Dem. You are in no way obligated to defend him.”

 “But-!”

 “You must still be in shock, and therefore not thinking straight. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure he’s not going to bother you anymore.”

 “Could you please stop talking over me and listen what I’m saying!” Demyx shouted, thoroughly offended for being dismissed so blatantly.

 He started to recall why the thing between him and Lux never evolved into anything more serious – the man sure liked his liquor, and after crossing the certain line with the alcohol he consumed, he tended to turn into such an annoying drama queen and pick fights with anyone who dared to even glance at Demyx in a way he didn’t like.

 “Yeah, you wacko", Xigbar scoffed, visibly pleased about Luxord being the one getting told this time, "the only one here not thinking straight is you.”

 “Same goes for you!” Demyx spat, twirling to give Xigbar such harsh glare that it made the man’s smug smile to drop comically fast. Turning his attention back to Luxord, Demyx forced his voice to come out calm and diplomatic, as he reached to squeeze the man’s shoulder reassuringly, “Lux, I really appreciate you looking out for me, but I can handle this just fine by myself. I’m sorry you ended up in the middle of this mess, but this really is between me and Xigbar.”

 “Ended up? Blondie here practically darted at us the moment he sensed an opportunity to stick his nose into other people’s businesses”, Xigbar snorted, not understanding to kindly shut the hell up already.

 “You’re not helping”, Demyx grumbled, shoving Xigbar's side with his elbow none too gently, all the while keeping careful eye contact with Luxord. “Could you please give us a moment? I’ll be right back inside with you, but first I really need to change a few words with Xigbar. Please?”

 Shifting his narrowed eyes suspiciously between Demyx and Xigbar, Luxord didn’t appear too convinced by Demyx’s reassuring. At last he sighed, looking sour and gravely disappointed. “Very well, if that’s what you wish”, he spoke the words like they left a rotten taste in his mouth, face wrinkling from displeasure. He turned his attention swiftly at Xigbar, nearing to stand so close to him their noses almost touched. “And you”, he snarled, menacingly poking Xigbar’s shoulder with his forefinger. “If you dare to touch him like that ever again, I’m going to give your ugly arse a proper beating.”

 It soon turned out Demyx had released his sigh of relief a bit too early. He should have figured by then, that Xigbar would refuse to back down without getting the final word.

 “Hate to break it to you, prep, but I’ve been touching him just fine till now, and I’m not about to stop just ‘cause you asked nicely.”

 _“Xigbar!”_ Demyx cried out from sheer outrage, burying his fiercely burning face in his hands.

 That was a breaking point for Luxord, who now lunged at Xigbar with no restrain, grabbing the other man by the collar of his jacket. Wobbly from all the drinks he’d downed during the night, it didn’t seem much of an effort for Xigbar to dodge the punch Luxord threw at him. Bracing his fist again in order to try and hit his aim this time, he tripped on a pointy cobblestone and stumbled against Xigbar, the unexpected impact sending both men falling right into the illuminated swimming pool with a large splash.

 “Ohh, _fuck_ ”, Demyx let out a horrified gasp.

 Stunned by shame right where he was standing, he pinched his eyes shut, not even daring to watch as the two soaked blockheads continued on with their ridiculous confrontation as if nothing happened. Furious splashing and heated insults flying loud and free soon attracted more attention, as crowds of curious party guests gathered around the pool to gape at the spectacle. Demyx felt like blacking out at any second, which honestly speaking would have been a blessing.

 “Xigbar! Luxord! Get up there this instant, or– or so help me!” He yelled as sternly as his quivering voice managed. His sudden exclaim startled some of the people around him, who jumped further away from him with concerned expressions. If he weren't so busy suffering by the devastatingly embarrassing scene he'd been caught in against his will, he would have told the curious lot off, if they were going to do nothing except follow the incident like they were visiting a zoo. Demyx's words were once again completely ignored by Xigbar and Luxord, as they were too busy trying to drown each other to pay any mind to him. Thoroughly fed up and worn out from what had been possibly the most bizarre few minutes he’d lived through, Demyx felt thickness rising to his throat and wetness gathering in the corner of his eyes.

 “I can’t take this anymore!” He shrieked, this time loud enough that both Xigbar and Luxord stopped strangling each other. “I hate you, both of you! I don’t want to see either of you ever again!”

 Veil of tears shadowed Demyx's vision as he fled the backyard with haste, rushing his way through the curiously whispering audience and inside the house. Ignoring a concerned woman who came to ask if he was feeling alright, Demyx tried to locate Axel for a one brief moment, but gave up almost immediately. Storming out the front doors and through the vast front yard, he ran to the turquoise car parked by the sidewalk. 

 “Demyx! Demyx, wait!”

 His heart flipped at the sound of Xigbar’s firm voice, but he refused to look back. With trembling, hasty movements he searched his pockets for the car keys, blood soaring in his ears in rhythm with Xigbar’s inevitably approaching steps. After few anxious seconds of sloppy fumbling, Demyx finally managed to pry the car’s door open and dive into safety. Only he didn’t get to even start the car, as the opposite door flew open and a wringing wet Xigbar emerged behind it to sit next to him.

 “Get out of here! Can’t you see you’re ruining Lex’s car?” Demyx yelled, trying to shove the soaked man away, but the bastard didn’t even budge.

 “Not before you listen what I have to say”, Xigbar spoke calmly. There was nothing to be laughed about in the current situation, but otherwise Xigbar's untied hair hanging about his determined scowl would have been at least worth a chuckle.

 “Perhaps I would have, but that was before you provoked Lux and caused a scene in front of all those people”, Demyx muttered, crossing his arms and looking out the window. The forecast had been right about the weather, after all. Big, round raindrops dripped lazily against the glass, drawing long wet lines upon it. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble for me already? Just leave me alone and go find someone else to torment.”

 “Demyx, look at me”, Xigbar spoke, his gruff voice unexpectedly kind as he reached to cup Demyx’s face with his wet hands. “Back there at The Oblivion, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.”

 It was the most unfair thing, how Xigbar could just toss around words like that so easily, while hearing them alone was enough to make Demyx a sniveling mess. “But you did. Holy shit, you did…”

 “I know, and for that I’m sorry”, Xigbar continued, his stern expression melting fast as he looked deep into Demyx’s reddened eyes. "Protecting you is something I’ll never apologize for, though.”

 “Oh, you stupid, stupid man!”

 Demyx was willing to let the pure idiocy of Xigbar’s last remark to slide for now, as he was at the moment more interested in the way Xigbar’s hand sailed to stroke the back of his neck. Demyx shivered at the feel of the callused fingertips gently massaging the skin there. As Xigbar bent his head down and guided Demyx’s face even closer, Demyx didn’t flinch away, even though he could feel the fresh set of tears already nesting behind his eyes.

 “I made you cry again”, Xigbar swallowed thickly, dark brows furrowing behind the long strands of dripping hair.

 “Don’t flatter yourself. I just got something in my eye”, Demyx sniffled, rubbing his strained eyes to elaborate the statement.

 “That’s a pretty big something.” A crooked smile broke out on Xigbar’s face. Though it was thinner and more hesitant compared to the one usually dominating his face, it made Demyx’s heart jump from happiness as it reminded him of the brief, blissful time before all this stupid drama between them happened. “You mind if I..." Xigbar continued, suddenly so uncharacteristically coy it was almost amusing, “kiss you?”

 “Quickly then, before I change my mind”, Demyx chuckled, unable to hold back a wary smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 Xigbar leaned down to capture Demyx’s lips with his own, and it was as if a lost traveler wandering in the desert had finally found his way to the oasis. Xigbar’s mouth on him was gentle, his movements almost hesitant as his tongue thrusted to part Demyx’s lips. Demyx was not known for his patience, when it came to expressing his affections, and the fact that he’d missed the feel of this man against him like crazy fueled his frustration even more. So, unceremoniously grasping Xigbar by the collar of his jacket, Demyx pulled the man on him like a large blanket. Xigbar’s surprised yelp was muffled by the demanding kiss Demyx attended to deepen, as he fell forward and onto the man below him with an unexpectedly strong impact.

 “Shit, I’m so sorry”, Xigbar said, breaking free from Demyx’s eager kisses to regard him with a worried look. “Did I crush you?”

 “You better, or there’ll be consequences”, Demyx breathed out.

 “Ooh, bossy”, Xigbar laughed, wiggling his brows in a way he probably thought was seductive.

 Upon catching Demyx’s hint, Xigbar was done holding himself back as he dived to conquer his mouth. Ruthlessly pinning Demyx between the car door and his body, Xigbar's freed wet hair splashed droplets of water all around them.

 This, this was what he’d needed. Maybe he hadn’t been strong-minded enough to give a cold shoulder at Xigbar for longer than one evening, but he really couldn’t bring himself to worry about morals and principals, as two strong hands traveled down his sides and landed to shove his thighs apart. Eagerly responding to the move, Demyx tied his legs around Xigbar’s middle, welcoming his soaked body between them. Clutching onto Xigbar’s shoulder and tangling his other hand in his long, wet hair, Demyx choked on a moan as Xigbar’s mouth sailed to suck and bite the sensitive skin below his ear. Just when Xigbar’s hand moved down his lower back and slid inside his pants, Demyx was brought back from his high by the distant sound of music and people laughing and talking carrying from the party. Suddenly hyper-aware about how open to the public their little session was, he acted by instinct and swatted at Xigbar’s wandering hand, with more strength than he’d meant to.

 “Ow! What was that for?”

 “Gosh, I’m so sorry, I guess I kinda… panicked”, Demyx stuttered, still breathless and heady by the intoxicated moment. He really would have preferred to continue on were they left off, but he also didn’t wish to participate in causing yet another scandal for the night.

 “Did I do something that upset you?” Xigbar asked, face frowning from confusion.

 “You didn’t. I liked that… very much, actually”, Demyx reassured him, feeling a bit bad about first downright ravaging the man and then swatting him off without a warning. “But this isn’t really the most private place for fooling around. I’m pretty sure we’ve already had a few involuntary witnesses.” He grimaced at the idea, flaming hot embarrassment burning in his stomach. Considering how dark the night was, Demyx chose to believe that no one had been able to get too explicit eyeful of what had been going on inside the pastel-colored beetle. “Also, I’m still mad at you.”

 “You are? Could’ve fooled me”, Xigbar grumbled, reluctantly releasing his hold on the other man and shifting back to his seat.

 “I sure am", Demyx stated quickly. Now that he'd more or less come back to his senses, he felt a bit disappointed with himself for surrendering so easily. "I think I need some time to think about… whatever this is”, he huffed, vaguely swaying his hand between them. Reaching to scratch the back of his ear, Demyx suddenly found it hard to look Xigbar in the eye. “This evening really didn’t go the way I planned.”

 “That’s fair, I guess”, Xigbar mumbled sullenly, not sounding too satisfied with the resolution. A sudden, unsure frown twisted at his face, as it seemed he recalled something unpleasant. Casting his gaze warily aside, he started hesitantly,  “About that thing I tried to tell you earlier–“

 “You’re a part of some kind of mafia. Yeah, yeah, old news.”

 “What the hell! How’d you find out?” Xigbar exclaimed, snapping his head back up to Demyx, a plain horrified expression dawning on his face.

 “Well”, Demyx mused, amused and slightly awkward by how surprised Xigbar was about the disclosure. Demyx hadn’t even realized he was making an effort to hide his sketchy background from him or anyone else for that matter. “You’ve not been very subtle about it, now have you?”

 “This is not a joke, Demyx”, Xigbar said sternly, a dreadful shadow gathering upon his serious face. “I’m not exactly the safest person to be associated with.”

 To be completely honest, Demyx had to admit he’d been purposefully ignoring that aspect about Xigbar for the longest time. Only after the ordeal they went through at The Oblivion, he really started to realize that they were not living in a movie, and Xigbar’s vague background was something that definitely shouldn’t be romanticized. It would be unhealthy, downright self-destructive of Demyx to keep clinging to him, and yet he knew in his heart how leading a life that didn't involve Xigbar was no more an option for him.

 “What made you change your mind?“ Demyx asked, genuinely curious. “About ignoring my entire existence so rudely, I mean.”

 “I figured you’d be in better safe under my protection”, Xigbar answered without a delay. His strict tone left little room for any further questions.

 “Right”, Demyx sighed. Absolutely exhausted, he let his worn out body to slump against his seat. He was certain his head would explode if they were to continue on with the absurd conversation any longer. “Well, my knight in a soaked leather jacket, you’ll catch a cold if you ride the bike like that”, Demyx said, searching his seat for the keys he must have dropped during their rendezvous. “C’mon, I’ll give you a ride home. What’s the address?”

 “See that humble cottage with no ugly-ass Yuletide lights?” Xigbar smirked, pointing at the huge manor right before them, that only a tall picket fence separated from Luxord’s residence.

 “You’re Luxord’s neighbor?!” Restricting his urge to pull out his disheveled mullet was getting harder by second. Could he really be sure he hadn’t ended up inside a bizarre soap opera by some strange magic? Considering all the dramatic turns his painstakingly ordinary life had taken, as soon as he’d set his feet upon the soil of his new city, it actually didn’t seem that far-fetched.

 “Unfortunately, yes”, Xigbar sulked, not appearing very thrilled about the reminder.

 Demyx kind of wanted to urge him to go back inside and make up with Lux right away, but something told him it wouldn’t be a wise move at the moment. He made a mental note to himself to see to that later. If he was going to invite Xigbar into his life again, this ridiculous dissonance between him an Lux really needed to stop. There was no way he'd put up with two grown-up men pulling each others pigtails and fighting in swimming pools like a couple of kindergarteners.

 Before stepping out of the car, Xigbar hesitated only a little while before taking Demyx’s hand in his. Bringing Demyx’s knuckles against his chapped lips, he took his time as he planted light kisses to each of his fingers. Demyx felt the feverish heat violently rushing back to his face. It wasn't a secret, how much Xigbar being rough and careless excited him, but seeing the gruff man not being afraid to display such tenderness to him made his heart tight with devotion.

 Utterly spellbound, he couldn't but watch in dazed awe, as Xigbar's lips landed on the back of his hand, and his golden eye cracked open to look at him.

 “I know you need time to think, and I’m willing to wait as long as it takes. If you decide you don’t want to see me ever again, I understand.” Xigbar’s stare was unwavering as he watched Demyx through the dark veil of tangled hair, his lips dry and scratchy as he spoke the words against Demyx’s hand. “But please, let me keep you safe.”

 Demyx had zero idea about what exactly the oddly ominous request entailed or even meant in the first place, but he was so hopelessly taken by Xigbar’s words and the mesmerizing vulnerability he was willing to put on a show, that the choked answer was out his mouth before he could think it properly through.

 “I will.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

 

 

 Demyx was in the middle of whisking waffle batter in sunlit kitchen, when the shrill ringing of doorbell interrupted his task. Taking a brief look at the time on his phone, it appeared his guest had arrived a bit earlier than what he’d expected. Demyx placed the bowl and whisk upon the kitchen counter, wiping his floury hands on his apron as he strolled to get the door. A young, silver-haired man in blue uniform and a small girl meekly peeking behind his leg were revealed behind it.

 “Hello there, Naminé! You’ve grown so tall since the last time I saw you.” Demyx bent downwards to offer a warm smile for the shying girl. Naminé eyed him warily under her thick, golden bangs and clutched tighter onto the man’s trousers. “Oh, and hello to you too, Riku”, Demyx laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he turned his attention to the other man.

 Out of Namine’s three guardians, Riku was probably the one Demyx was least familiar with. The man worked as a detective under the mainland’s police department, and apparently had an ongoing habit of overworking himself. As a result of that, he’d been rarely home when The Nobodies came to practice at their place, so Demyx hadn’t really gotten the chance to get to know the guy too well. When Demyx had agreed to look after Naminé for that day, he’d been somewhat unnerved about Riku being the one to bring the child to him. He couldn’t help finding the guy a tad scary, and for some reason the fact that he happened to be a police officer made his hands feel sweaty.

 Hanging around a one-eyed biker with highly suspicious reputation might’ve had something to do with his nervousness. Never mind how blissfully clueless Demyx still was about the exact nature of the businesses Xigbar was involved in, he doubted they were anything an Officer of the Law would appreciate too much.

 “Good to see you, Demyx”, Riku said, attempting to detach the tiny fist gripping at the fabric of his trousers. Naminé didn’t seem too keen to co-operate, the disheartened pout on her round face got more distinctive by the second. “We can’t thank you enough for agreeing to look after Naminé today, you truly are a lifesaver.”

 “Don't mention it! I should be the one thanking you for rescuing my boring Sunday.” Demyx took the pastel pink shoulder bag Riku handed him, where he assumed all the toddler-stuff was packed in.

 Though Demyx had always been one to appreciate his free time, and found great delight in doing absolutely nothing, being jobless had really started getting to him lately. Due to Roxas and Xion being busy with school work, there hadn’t been much time for The Nobodies to schedule any new shows or even practice these days, so Demyx often found himself with so overwhelmingly much spare time, that he was starting to have trouble figuring what to do with it all.

 He dared to guess, that Xigbar would have him back at The Oblivion should he ask him, but somehow the idea of working at the club again wasn’t that appealing. The place brought back pretty graphic images about things he’d rather forget altogether, and dwelling on them still felt highly uncomfortable to Demyx. So, spending the day watching after little Naminé was a refreshing change to sitting on his bum and submitting job applications all day long.

 “That’s good to hear”, Riku sighed, seemingly convinced by Demyx’s sincerity. Crouching down at Naminé's side, he planted a light peck upon the child’s blond head. “Daddy’s gotta go to work now, Nami. Be nice to Demyx while I’m gone, ok?”

 The girl nodded a little, her small face still serious as ever.

 “Do you like waffles, Naminé? I was just whisking the batter and there ended up being so much of it, that I’m gonna get a tummy-ache for sure if I have to eat them all alone”, Demyx chatted in calm, friendly tone and offered his hand for the girl. He was familiar with Naminé's tendency to shyness, and now that it had been a while since The Nobodies got together to practice at their place, it seemed the girl had grown wary of him.

 Luckily, the pout on her face eased as soon as the waffles were mentioned. Finally releasing her grasp on Riku’s trousers, she stepped forward and took Demyx’s hand.

 “Now you got her attention, for sure”, Riku laughed, proudly admiring his daughter’s sudden burst of courage. “Her sweet tooth is almost as bad as Sora’s.”

 After a while of Riku’s long-winded lecturing about naptimes and mealtimes and diapers, and how Demyx could call any time, should any problems occur, Demyx needed to pretty much shoo the man off his doorstep so he wouldn’t be too late from work.

 They were left watching Riku jog his way down the staircase, brisk steps echoing thorough the building. Demyx looked down at the little girl hanging by his hand, who looked a bit worried again upon realizing she’d be spending the whole day without any of her parents.

 “Shall we go see how that batter is doing?” Demyx quickly requested. The way Naminé's lower lip wobbled and frown on her face deepened, made it apparent she wasn’t too far from bursting into tears.

 Lifting her pouting face to look at Demyx, she gave him a cautious once over, before reaching her hands at him. “Up”, she sniffled in a tiny voice, making Demyx almost jump from surprise. This had to be the first time he’d heard the girl talk.

 “Your wish is my command, young lady!” Demyx said on a laugh, scooping the child in his arms. Tiny hands clung firmly around his neck as he closed the door behind them.

 Tending to the batter turned out to be a bit challenging with a clingy toddler hanging by his neck, but fortunately Demyx managed to persuade her to sit on the carpet and play with her toys while he finished the task. As the waffles were ready to be served, the duo retreated to the living room to enjoy their sugary breakfast. Demyx couldn’t recall the last time he’d watched Sunday morning cartoons, and though the content had, for the most part, naturally changed since his own childhood days, it appeared some of the classics still kept airing. Those four antenna-headed fellows with their weird vacuum-cleaner must've been around for at least twenty years already.

 

 The winter time in Destiny Islands had been unusually cool that year. The slowly approaching spring had chased the rainclouds away for the time being, however, making the sunrays already feel warmer against the skin. It was going to be a beautiful day, if the forecast and the brightly shining sun peeking behind the window were to be trusted, so Demyx had figured they’d go spend some time outside. The small festival that would be occurring near downtown today sounded like a fun way to enjoy the gentle warmth of early spring.

 Riku hadn’t brought the stroller with him, but luckily he’d packed a toddler carrier inside the shoulder bag. Even though Naminé seemed capable of standing with her own two feet just fine nowadays, she was still too small to walk long distances by herself, and would surely get tired before long if she did. The amount of straps and buckles the thing contained was very confusing to Demyx at first. He wasn’t too sure if he’d be able unwrap neither of them from its complicated bindings anymore, but at least there was no way the girl would fall off of the properly secured carrier.

 With a pouchful of toddler hanging by his front body, Demyx made his way down the stairs. Just as he was about to open the building’s main door, he suddenly paused in his tracks. Turning on his heel, Demyx decided to walk through the backyard this time. Just in case…

 “Trying to be sneaky?” A bored voice sang from his right as soon as he stepped into the sunny forenoon.

 With a spontaneous shriek at the unexpected sound, Demyx twirled around. A blond woman leaned against the building’s side, fully focused on filing her sharp nails. Large black sunglasses covered almost entirely the upper half of her face, but the way she pursed her blood-red lips and the fact that she hadn’t even bothered to glance at Demyx’s direction, made it clear she wasn’t too happy to be there. Well, at least the feeling was mutual.

 “Thanks for the heart attack!”

 “Don’t you dare go having one on my watch”, the woman scoffed, putting the filer in her leathery handbag and stepping to Demyx. The sight of her menacing demeanor instantly triggered his fight-or-flight response; those heels would be sharp enough to kill a man, for sure. “Had I known that stalking the manager’s toyboy would be a part of this stupid job, I’d have seriously reconsidered signing the contract.”

 “Go home, Larxene.”

 Demyx felt a hint of heat tickling his face by Larxene’s disrespectful taunting, but knew better than letting it get to him by now. To be fair, Demyx really wasn’t one to blame Larxene for her reluctant attitude in the first place, since he himself felt moderately salty about the whole situation. He still couldn’t believe Xigbar had went and forced his minions to take turns spying on him on a regular schedule. If he’d known how the weirdly melodramatic _“Let me keep you safe”_ was a synonym for saying goodbye to his privacy, Demyx would have thought twice before allowing Xigbar to sweet-talk him into this nonsense.

 “I’m serious, it’s fine by me. I promise not to tell him.”

 Demyx strode past the woman, making his way through the yard and towards the avenue. A sharp click-clack of high heels sounding behind told him how his unwanted bodyguard wasn’t about to obey his request.

 “And then what”, Larxene insinuated, persistently remaining hot on Demyx’s heels. “You end up all cold and lifeless in some back-alley dumpster?”

 “Geez, that’s not morbid at all”, Demyx grumbled, throwing her a disapproving glare as he lowered his hands from covering Naminé's ears. He doubted the child’s parents would want him to babysit her anymore if she picked up such grim words on his watch. “Surely that’s not too likely to happen, in the middle of daylight and all...” 

 Although, Xigbar’s sudden and outright hysteric enthusiasm towards his safety did rise some questions. There probably was something bigger and more serious going on than the man was letting him know, but was it really necessary for Demyx to be escorted around like some old-timey lady of noble birth?

 “Honey, I don’t know how to tell you this”, Larxene cooed, patting Demyx on the head in outrageously patronizing way, “but screwing dangerous gangsters isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

 “Hey! There’s a child present!”

 

 As it became apparent his chances to bribe his unwanted bodyguard out of her task were minimal at best, Demyx gave up and bitterly sucked up his defeat. For the time being, at least.

 The nearest metro stop wasn’t too far away from where Demyx lived, but the journey there took long enough to mold his overflowing frustration into a more tolerable shape. Walking among the warm and sunny streets, while the soft buzzing of cicadas and distant lapping of ocean filled the air, Larxene too was slowly starting to appear calmer and more content with her faith.

 Even on weekends the busses and metros of the mainland were usually so cramped, it was a small miracle if one managed to find themselves enough space to move their hands and legs freely without bumping into everyone else around. Demyx didn’t find the idea of being stuck inside the suffocating space very tempting, and so he was pleasantly surprised as their ride turned out to be far less occupied than he’d anticipated. They were even fortunate enough to find seats nearby the train’s doors, where there was enough room to sit comfortably without getting squashed between the sticky bodies of their fellow passengers.

 Their stop was located a bit farther from the heart of the downtown and nearby the ocean, from where they could already spot large sets of colorful festival stalls standing side by side along the seaside street. Even a medium-sized Ferris Wheel and few other rides blinked with bright colors in the horizon. Joyful laughter and the salesmen yelling their offers mixed in with the happy tune of instrumental music, that left all their surroundings echoing the sound of it.

 “Ugh, for real”, sulked Larxene, wrinkling her nose at the spectacle before them. “You into this kinda stuff? How old were you again?”

 Demyx rolled his eyes at his companion’s attitude. And here he’d thought the woman’s presence wouldn’t be so unbearable after all. “As I said before, you’re free to leave anytime you want. In fact, that’d be ideal.”

 “We both know the old asshole is going to have my head if I do that”, Larxene grumbled. She braced her hand in a new attack towards Demyx’s mohawk, but he was quick enough to evade it this time. Naminé, still soundly strapped around Demyx, let out a happy screech at the skirmish.

 “Let’s see you keeping up with me in those heels”, Demyx chortled under his breath. Securing his arms around the child, he dashed to mingle with the crowds of people trotting along the festival street. “Last one at the Ferris Wheel is a rotten egg!”

 “I’m so not getting paid enough for this…”

 Larxene sprinted after her slippery charge, wondering if the strands of his mullet would be long enough for her to strangle him.

 

***

 After a while of strolling between the seemingly endless lane of stalls, while occasionally stopping to try their hands at the several game booths alongside the festival street, the unlikely trio had settled to take a brake at a small coffee shop nearby it.

 “Hey, Larx”, Demyx hooted from across the table. “Over here.”

 Larxene glanced at him around her iced coffee, arching a precisely shaped brow at him. Smug smirk on his face, Demyx aimed her with his phone’s camera, cackling to himself as he searched for the most suitable filter to frame her sour expression. Realizing what he was up to, the woman surged immediately to try and snatch the phone from his hand, causing the cups and plates on the table to bounce dangerously.

 “You impossible brat! It’s rude to take pictures of someone before asking them first!”

 “Not as rude as creeping around people’s homes and following them around”, Demyx chuckled, extending the phone high above his head while continuing to snap pictures of her enraged face.

 “You think I enjoy being your glorified nanny?” Sullen by her defeat, Larxene folded her arms and leaned in her chair. The leer she aimed at Demyx was exceedingly menacing. “If you’re not content with the service, go cry about it to your sugar daddy.”

 “He is _not_ my-” Demyx sputtered, hurriedly slapping his hand in front of his mouth before he’d announce the statement for the whole coffee shop to hear. “It’s not… like that.”

 “No?” Shockingly green eyes glinted with merciless curiosity as they observed the squirming man before them. “Why would you let a chance like that to slide?”

 “Can we please talk about something else?” Demyx muttered, making it a point to keep his attention on wiping the food stains from the corner of Naminé's mouth.

 “I don’t get you.” Leaning her cheek against her hand, a thoughtful expression grew on Larxene’s face as she pondered. “You probably wouldn’t have to work a day in your life anymore, if you played your cards right. And just think about the legacy you’d get when the bastard finally expires…”

 “Do you even hear yourself?!” Demyx gasped, absolutely devastated. He knew Larxene was only taunting him for the sake of her own entertainment, but the subtle accusation that he’d keep Xigbar’s company out of such shallow reasons, felt very uncomfortable to Demyx. The concept was even more upsetting in the light of the dreadful truth, how that’d pretty much been the case of his and Lux’s relationship in the past. He’d led the poor guy on without a shame, not reluctant at all as Luxord squandered considerably huge sums of munny on him. For what it was worth, he’d been young and stupid back then, and still felt greatly ashamed for the promiscuous ways of his past self.

 “You’re right. He isn’t quite _that_ old, is he?” Larxene cackled against her carefully manicured hand like the devil herself. “But you know, accidents do happen.”

 “That’s it, this conversation is cancelled”, Demyx grumbled bitterly. It wasn’t an easy task to restrain himself from launching a spoonful of Naminé's mushy toddler-food at the mean-spirited woman.

 Whether it was because she finally took pity on him, or she was just content with getting to rile him up so effectively, Larxene let the subject go and settled to sip at her drink. Demyx made a sullen notion, how she looked way too pleased with herself while doing so. For a little while, he’d been almost convinced that Larxene wasn’t actually too bad to be around, and couldn’t but feel a bit foolish for his own naivety. Then again, perhaps he was being a bit too sensitive over her teasing. He was positive how Larxene didn’t actually wish to hurt his feelings; the woman’s sense of humor was of darker shade, and from what Demyx had witnessed, she tended to torment even her closest friends (mostly Marluxia) just as mercilessly.

 Still moderately upset for being taken as a devious gold-digger, Demyx concluded, how keeping the footage he managed to capture of Larxene would only serve the blasted bully right. Browsing the plain hilarious pictures on his phone, Demyx stopped his swiping to marvel the best one so far; Larxene’s furious scowl only inches away from camera, her nostrils wide and blood-red lips pursed to an angry line. Out of pure spite, Demyx edited two red horns upon her head and caricatured her brows to a comically angry shape. He pondered about the most accurate caption for his creation. Deciding to make it short and to the point, he simply typed:  _‘Scary :((‘_

 He hesitated only a little before sharing his masterpiece with Xigbar.

 After the dramatic events that occurred at the Yuletide party, Demyx’s noble plan to take some time to himself and sort out his feelings had lost its appeal depressingly soon. Though his own neediness for the One-Eyed Asshole had made red-hot embarrassment bubble within his stomach, in the end he didn’t really find himself giving a damn about swallowing his pride that easily. So, Demyx had soon approached Xigbar in message form. To let the overdramatic idiot know what exactly he thought about him recruiting people to stalk him, or so Demyx had told himself. At first, the messages exchanged between them had mainly consisted of sassy remarks and smart comebacks, but lately they’d gotten a slightly… different undertone.

 Demyx didn’t have to wait too long before receiving his response.

 

 **Xiggy:** _You be a good boy to your nanny, she’s only doing her job._

 

 Demyx rose his brows at the message. For a man who enjoyed running his mouth so much, Xigbar often managed to come across as very blunt, if not almost dismissive through his texts. Demyx had learned to not take it personally, however. He was positive the man’s peculiar phrasings had to do with his overall snooty attitude towards modern technology, rather than his lack of interest in him. If Xigbar’s claims were to be believed, he’d gotten his first smartphone only a year ago, (the fact he seemed to be extremely proud of, and never got tired reminding everyone about it) and still at times had trouble operating the device. Demyx couldn’t but note the hypocrisy in Xigbar’s bitter-old-man agenda, since he didn’t seem to have any problem constructing himself greasy dating app profiles with weird summaries.

 Feeling very adventurous all of a sudden, Demyx typed his next answer:

 

    _Idk, kinda feel like fleeing. This nanny is not nice at all._

 

 His phone buzzed almost immediately after sending the message.

 

 **Xiggy:** _Sounds like you need a reminder of what’ll happen if you won’t behave._

 

  A shiver of thrill surged through Demyx’s body. Though Xigbar had the undeniable ability to make him completely oblivious about the rest of the world, he was still self-aware enough to feel ashamed about the mental-images flooding his mind while there was an innocent child present. But as usual, when it came to Xigbar, Demyx found himself unable to resist playing along.

 

_Do enlighten me. I’m afraid my memory’s a bit hazy at the moment ;))_

 

 The wait for the next reply took a bit longer this time. Flicking the message open, his insides did a very violent somersault as soon he laid his eyes on Xigbar’s answer. Pulse raging in his ears, Demyx swallowed thickly. It was a silly thing, to get so worked up over few vaguely dirty words like some horny teenager, but there he was; doing exactly that. If he weren’t so winded by the drastically escalated conversation, Demyx would’ve probably found it upsetting, how Xigbar clearly thought some sexting was enough to lure his attention away from his annoyance towards the unwanted babysitter.

 

_You should come here right now, then._

 

 That was Demyx’s final message, before he very determinedly put the phone away and decided to concentrate on the moment at hand. Clearing his throat, he busied himself by assisting Naminé to spoon the remnants of her odd-colored mushy lunch, while doing his best to ignore the knowing glances Larxene kept throwing at him.

 

 They were about to exit the coffee shop some moments later, when a clamorous growl of engine carried from outside. An all too familiar warmth settled in Demyx’s stomach, his head clouded by sudden dash of heady excitement. _He really came!_

 Turning to look for the source of the noise, his eyes found Xigbar adjusting his huge motorbike at the side of the road behind the coffee shop’s window. Demyx couldn’t but stare as the man removed the helmet from his head, the way his long hair glistened in the sunlight. Mesmerizing contrast of silvery stripes entwining with pitch-black locks was a beautiful thing to look at. There was something to be said about the way Xigbar’s harsh face softened, as his gaze soon locked on Demyx. An embarrassingly vocal and dreamy sigh escaped the younger man at the sight of him. _Beautiful,_ his fluttering heart was left echoing the word. _This man is beautiful._

 The bell above the coffee shop’s door chimed in their wake, as they stepped outside.

 Despite the frisky messages exchanged between them only moments ago, Demyx was surprised to find a hint of shyness within him as he approached Xigbar. In some, peculiar way it felt like their wayward relationship was going through a phase, that it managed to skip all those months ago. This lust-driven thing of theirs had started out with a _bang,_ and though there was no denying the heady physical attraction that kept drawing them to each other, Demyx could feel the change in the air; something entirely new and different had started to bloom between them. He couldn’t say for sure what this curious turn was about just yet, but it could be easily sensed through the subtle changes within their interaction. Their cheeky, at times almost competitive flirting and carefree dallying was now accompanied with something unnervingly tender.

 “You came”, Demyx released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He could only imagine how utterly stupid he looked, like an awkward teenager squirming in front of his crush.

 “So it seems.” Xigbar shifted on his feet, a silly little smile had replaced the usual self-assured grin. Demyx was relieved to note he wasn’t the only smitten imbecile around here. “You… look nice today.”

 Xigbar’s unexpected bashfulness caused a flood of confidence rush through Demyx. Smirking playfully, he stepped closer to the man. “Uh-uh. So usually I don’t?”

 “Stop putting words in my mouth”, Xigbar frowned, looking almost abashed by his teasing. Demyx felt honestly a bit sorry for that. It was seldom that Xigbar spoke out loud something so genuine that freely. He was starting to worry, if he’d managed to scare the man’s sincerity in hiding for good, when Xigbar continued, “It’s like there’s something different about you.”

 It wasn’t easy to try and not melt into the ground under the openly affectionate gaze. Determined to not let the fatal state of his hopelessness shine through just yet, Demyx answered with a lighthearted tone. “Could it have something to do with this small human hanging by me?”

 “Well, what do you know.” The serious pout on Xigbar's face made way for a gentle smile, as his attention turned to the little girl in Demyx’s arms. “That must be it.”

 It did strange things to Demyx, to witness Xigbar leaning to Naminé's eye-level, smiling softly as he greeted her. Demyx had braced himself for the likely scenario, how the timid child would probably burst to tears at the sight of the one-eyed man, and was relieved his anticipations proved inaccurate. Wide blue eyes examined Xigbar curiously, and she dared to even reach her tiny hands at the man, making grabby-hands towards his eye-patch. Demyx was fairly sure he caught the word _pirate_ amidst her mostly indistinctive babbling. With a delighted laugh, Xigbar offered her his hand instead; big, callused fingers wrapped gently around the child’s tiny fist, as he shook her hand, jokingly exaggerating the gesture’s formality.

 Straightening his posture, the look Xigbar granted Demyx was full of tender admiration. “It’s a good look on you.”

 “Ew, I think I just vomited a bit in my mouth…”

 The sudden input by Larxene startled the two mooning men, who flipped their heads at her direction in unison. Arms crossed as she leaned against a wall nearby, she didn’t make an effort to hide her disgust towards the scene before her.

 “Oh, you’re still here.” Xigbar looked genuinely surprised upon noticing her presence. Making a dismissive shooing motion with his hand, he continued with a scoff. “Off you go, your work here is done for today.”

 “Don’t be rude!” Demyx gasped, as if he himself had been anything but the whole forenoon. In his defense, there wasn’t much praising to be directed towards Larxene’s politeness, either. The woman had clearly done her very best being a major pain in his arse. However, even in the midst of his bitterness, Demyx realized that in the end she was only putting up with Xigbar’s absurd demands, just like him.

 “Thank god for that”, Larxene huffed, not appearing too devastated by Xigbar's flagrant ungratefulness. Demyx guessed it made sense, how putting up with the One-Eyed Asshole long enough would make people immune to his blatantly inconsiderate behavior. “Gotta say boss, getting your employees involved in your weird-ass creeping is _not_ cool.”

 “So much for a fun lil’ activity to strengthen the team spirit”, Xigbar called after her retreating back. Larxene acknowledged his amused hollering by giving a lazy wave with her hand.

 As his menacing bodyguard disappeared around the corner and out of sight, Demyx let his rigid shoulders to drop from his ears. He’d been meaning to confront Xigbar about this whole ridiculousness, that was him being fussed over like some medieval lady in delicate state, but suddenly the need for that didn’t feel so urgent anymore. Demyx found he didn’t wish to ruin their time together by picking an argument, no matter how justified it might have been. At least not right now.

 “I can’t believe it. I’m finally free”, Demyx sighed.

 “Not too fast”, smirking, Xigbar sneaked his arm around Demyx’s waist, pulling the younger man closer with a smooth motion. “If you think I’m about to let you outta my sight, I’ve got some news for you.”

 “Not in front of Naminé, you dirty old man!” Demyx snorted, swatting the curious hand off of him as soon as it started to journey a bit more downwards than what was considered appropriate in public.

 

***

 The smell of frying grease and blooming orange flowers lingered in the air, mixing in with the festival street’s vivid bustling.

 After Larxene took her leave, Demyx had persuaded Xigbar to come and spend some time with them at the festival. Though trotting among the cramped streets clearly wasn’t his favorite activity, Xigbar had little choice but consent to Demyx’s will in the end, due to his reluctance to leave the younger man by himself. The urge to roll his eyes at Xigbar’s fussing was a strong one, but Demyx found his annoyance fading fast, as some entirely different thoughts soon occupied his mind.

 It was hard to keep low-profile with his fascination towards the unexpectedly accustomed way Xigbar dealt with Naminé. It seemed the child in turn was quite taken by Xigbar, considering the way she so confidently dragged the man by his hand to whichever direction she momentarily felt like heading. There wasn’t a trace of furrow upon Xigbar’s brow or snide within his words, as he obediently let the child to drag him around. Demyx realized his shameless staring was on the borderline of getting creepy, and yet he hardly dared to blink as he followed the scenario before him:

 Xigbar and the little girl in front of a woman selling huge, colorful balloons. The way Xigbar bent down as he handed a paopu fruit shaped balloon for Naminé, his assertive demeanor so serene and relaxed. There was softness within the rumbling of his low voice; like a beautiful (and somewhat sad) melody, tangling within the racket of noises surrounding them.

 Demyx wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Guilt twisted his guts for so readily assuming that Xigbar wouldn’t be any good with this kind of stuff. Taking in the steadfast patience and tenderness he expressed while interacting with the child, a sudden realization dawned on Demyx; what exactly did he know about this man? All the shady stuff aside, Demyx didn’t have a slightest clue about what kind of life Xigbar had led before he came to the Islands. The thought was surprisingly disheartening, flooding Demyx’s mind with ink-black wave of silent jealousy. Suddenly he itched to squeeze the secrets out of Xigbar, make him reveal all the scars his undoubtedly rough past had left on him, no matter how much they still ached.

 Before his thoughts managed to attract anymore absurd traits, Demyx’s silent mulling got interrupted by the very man occupying his mind.

 “Hello, earth to squirt”, Xigbar chuckled. Holding Naminé and a paopu fruit balloon in his other hand, he cut an impossibly precious figure. Though he’d been kind of sullen about hanging at the festival at first, Xigbar had clearly started to enjoy himself, if the wide smile stretching his lips and brightness of his eye were anything to go by. “A penny for your thoughts?”

 “What did I say about calling me that”, Demyx blurted. Quickly fixing his eyes at anywhere but Xigbar’s all too watchful gaze, he felt awkward by the disordered nonsense his mind had come up with. Though he craved to get to know this man like the back of his hand, merciless interrogation probably wasn’t right way to go about it. “And it’s nothing, really. I was merely enjoying the view.”

 “Oh?” Xigbar mused. His sincere smile twisted to a brilliant grin. “And what was it that caught your eye?”

 “A handsome devil of a man who’s secretly a big sweetheart”, Demyx shrugged easily. “Gets me every time.”

 Xigbar barked a surprised laugh at his answer. “I’ve been called many things in my life, but sweetheart definitely ain’t one of those.”

 “I wonder why? You look like an embodiment of the word to me”, Demyx said, fighting the urge to hide his face as he felt a blush gathering on the tips of his cheeks. “Isn’t that right, Namine?” He continued, occupying himself by picking up the child from the other man’s arms, before his unpredictable mouth had the time to babble out more gibberish.

 Though she probably was mostly clueless about the nature of their conversation, the girl let out an enthusiastic screech at that. Her glimmering blue eyes observed Xigbar carefully, as Demyx helped her to settle back into the carrier. They made their way from the festival street, leaving the cacophony of merry music and lively murmuring behind. Demyx found himself unable to tear his eyes from the man walking beside him. He wondered if Xigbar was aware of the indelible impression he’d left on both him and Naminé.

 

 It wasn’t too long after that, until they reached the nearest metro stop. The eventful forenoon had clearly taken its toll on Naminé, who at that point dozed like a ragdoll by the carrier around Demyx. Xigbar had offered to give them a ride back to the apartment, but Demyx doubted it’d be a very good idea. Impossibly noisy motorbike was hardly a practical nor safe way to transport sleeping toddlers from one place to another. 

 “Can’t we just take a cab?” Xigbar grunted, eyeing the neon-colored sign above the underground staircase with a miserable expression.

 “We’ll die from old age before getting one this time of the day”, Demyx remarked. “It'd most likely get dark by the time we’d make it through all the traffic, anyway.”

 “I’m kinda tempted to choose the dying part over this…”

 “Wow, Xiggy. I didn’t know you were such a snob”, Demyx mused with a sing-song voice, giving an amused look for the distressed man by his side. He’d learned that using the snob-card was a very effective way to tease Xigbar, and couldn’t help resorting to it in a playful way once in a while.

 “I ain’t, though”, Xigbar was fast to defend himself. “Just not too good with cramped spaces.”

 Demyx felt something within him clenching by the reveal. The barely held back nervousness stiffening Xigbar’s demeanor made him ache to kiss the frown from his face.

 “Here.” Overcome with his need to comfort the other, Demyx offered his hand to the man. “Maybe it won’t be so bad if we hold hands.”

 Xigbar’s face went blank by the surprise for a brief moment. For a small, disheartening while Demyx panicked if he’d insulted the man by suggesting something so silly. That turned out not being the case, as Xigbar’s callused hand reached to entwine their fingers. The ambiguous expression upon his face mellowed into a wary, almost thoughtful smile as they started to descend down the staircase.

 

***

 Despite the five whole months of the peculiar affair between them, Xigbar had visited Demyx’s apartment only a handful of times. Demyx found he couldn’t get enough of the sight of the man there. The curious gleam in his eye as he examined the little details of the apartment, and the casual way he sprawled on the living-room carpet to play with Namine, filled Demyx’s mind with some ragingly sappy thoughts. Domesticity was a strikingly good look on Xigbar.

 “See something you like?” Placing the last wooden block upon the tower he’d been building with Namine, Xigbar rose a curious brow at Demyx.

 “You’re good at this”, Demyx found himself thinking out loud. He’d been standing there by the living-room entrance for some minutes now, deep in thought as he followed the endearing scene of Xigbar and Namine constructing their block tower town. Shaking his head slightly, Demyx fastened his hold on the two cups of steaming hot coffee as he stepped to the room. “Suspiciously good, actually.”

 “Aren't I? Building block towers happens to be one of my special skills”, Xigbar chuckled as he took the cup Demyx offered him.

 “You know perfectly well what I meant, smartass”, Demyx huffed, sitting next to the other man on the carpet. “It’s like you’ve done this before.”

 “I have”, Xigbar shrugged lightly. Though the man was clearly trying to act indifferent about it, his stiffened composition didn’t go unnoticed by Demyx. “Built quite many block towers when my daughter was this small.”

 “Y-your daughter”, Demyx repeated dumbly. Considering their age difference, it shouldn’t have been that surprising… and yet Demyx felt as if a particularly dramatic plot-twist had just occurred in this crazy soap opera simulation they were stuck in. _“You have a daughter!”_

 “Uh… yes?” Xigbar articulated, looking a bit alarmed by Demyx’s dramatic reaction.

 “And you didn’t tell me!”

 “Well, it never came up”, Xigbar mused, choosing his words carefully as he concentrated on repairing the tower Naminé had started to dismantle. “She’s all grown-up now anyway, so I figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. I’m pretty sure you guys are about the same age, too.”

 “Oh.” Taking a long swallow of his coffee, Demyx felt his face getting hot. Somehow the fact that Xigbar’s daughter was an adult made him a bit concerned. In the light of the undefined state of their relationship, it was way too early to fret over such things, and yet he couldn’t but wonder what she’d think of her father dallying with someone of her age. If Demyx were to meet her one day, he really hoped she wouldn’t end up sharing Larxene’s heinous assumptions about his gold-digger agenda.

 From all the questions hovering on the tip of his tongue, Demyx ended up blurting out perhaps the most unessential one. “Does she look very much like you?”

 “Hell no”, Xigbar laughed. “Lucky for her, she took after someone entirely else on that aspect.”

 He knew there was a good reason for Xigbar’s unwillingness to share too much of his background. The less Demyx knew the safer he was seemed to be how Xigbar reasoned this mindset. But now, upon allowed a small glimpse behind his curtain of secrecy, Demyx felt his curiosity growing vastly.

 Before he was able to voice out his next question, the demanding ring of the doorbell prevented his actions. Frustrated by the untimely interruption, Demyx strode to get the door.

 Riku looked tired and severe, the black circles around his eyes seemed deeper and darker than they did in the morning. Being a police detective clearly wasn’t the most stress-free profession to have. Noticing her father’s arrival, Naminé let out a joyful screech as she threw her arms up and ran into his waiting arms. Demyx informed Riku about their all in all successful day, all the while the man nodded along with almost comically attentive expression. As he bid his goodbyes to Naminé and Riku, Demyx couldn’t but notice Xigbar’s absence in the situation.

 “Why didn’t you come say goodbye to Namine?” Demyx scolded as he flopped on the couch next to Xigbar, where the man had settled to surf through the TV channels with an apathetic expression. “She’s going to miss you, for sure.”

 “You didn’t mention her father’s a police detective”, Xigbar frowned, making more room for Demyx by lifting his arm and allowing the younger man to lean against him. “Just trust me on this one, it was a good thing the guy didn’t see me here.”

 “Do I even want to know?” Demyx groaned against Xigbar’s shoulder and reached to pinch his side without a warning.

 “You don’t”, Xigbar snorted, blocking the attack of the other man’s nimble fingers easily by fastening his hold of him.

 “Always a mysterious one”, Demyx’s laugh ended with a yawn, his eyes straining and body heavy by the sudden wave of drowsiness; it had been a while since the last time he’d woken up so early in the morning. Pressing his face against the crook of Xigbar’s neck, he allowed his tired eyes to close. Steady, strong arm against his exhausted body felt warm and comforting as it wrapped around Demyx’s shoulder. There were still so many things Demyx yearned to get an answer for, but right now he found himself content by simply being close to Xigbar. They had all the time in the world to get to know one another, and just like Xigbar had been willing to give Demyx the time to sort out his feelings, Demyx could be patient too. Now that he got the man back in his life, he didn’t wish to chase him away by being too intrusive.

 His worn out mind reassured by these thoughts, Demyx was soon lulled into a peaceful slumber.

 

***

 It didn’t feel like much time had passed since he fell asleep, but as Demyx’s eyes stirred open, the room had grown vast with shadows already. The pale light of the TV and distant gleam of street lamps glowing through the window were the only source of light in the shapeless darkness. With a strained sigh, Demyx stretched his limbs. They felt numb and tingly by keeping in the same position for so long. Xigbar’s hold around him loosened a bit upon the movement. Warm, scratchy hand drifted lightly along Demyx’s side. Demyx lifted his head from the man’s shoulder, and was a bit startled to find his clever gaze examining him keenly.

 “What is it?”

 “You were talking in your sleep.”

 “Was not”, Demyx snorted, but continued nevertheless, “What’d I say?”

 “Some incoherent nonsense.” Xigbar’s hand reached to tug an escaped strand of hair behind Demyx's ear, the simple act of it making his pulse pound in his head. “Sounded like a music to my ears, though.”

 “Real smooth, Xiggy.”

 Large shadows seemed to reach from every corner of the silent room, cradling the two men in an alluring bubble of quiet anticipation. The air surrounding them felt thick with something that was about to unfold. Demyx gulped, fearing his heart might climb through his throat if he didn’t swallow it back. The thrumming of it sounded way too loud and frantic in his ears. Restlessly flashing light of the TV cast fluttering, bright spots upon Xigbar’s thoughtful face, allowing Demyx to catch glimpses of the sharp, golden gaze. Leaning forward to capture his partly open lips in a thorough kiss felt like the only sensible thing for Demyx to do.

 Releasing a pleased hum into his mouth, Xigbar’s callused palms snuck under the hem of Demyx’s loose t-shirt, grasping the younger man by the waist and pulling him closer into his arms.

 A gasp of surprise that left Demyx got lost in the kiss Xigbar didn’t allow them to part from, even as he hauled Demyx upon his lap with clumsy, frenzied movements. Parting his legs to straddle Xigbar’s thighs, Demyx felt his head getting woolly by the lack of oxygen. It appeared Xigbar was oblivious to the other man’s need for a breather, as the kiss he invaded Demyx’s mouth with started to go from deep and thorough to frantic and fiery head-spinningly fast. No doubt getting choked on Xigbar’s tongue would have been a marvelous way to go, but the possibility of not living to experience what else was in store for him, made Demyx reach his hands to both sides of Xigbar’s head and break free from the suffocating kiss.

 “Are you trying to kill me!” Demyx rasped out, his entire body trembling as he attempted to catch his breath.

 “And here I thought you were into that kinda stuff.” Xigbar’s swollen mouth crooked into a wicked grin. His right hand journeyed upwards and to the back of Demyx’s head so sneakily, that Demyx realized its new location only upon Xigbar’s fingers tangled among his messed up hair. A violent rush of heat shocked through his body, when Xigbar suddenly grasped a fistful of his ruined mohawk and yanked his head back _hard_. Though it clearly wasn’t meant to be the most mindful act, Demyx could feel the slightest hesitation in the touch. He wasn’t sure what to make of the notion, how the pressure upon his scalp felt almost too gentle to him.

 Xigbar leaned to caress Demyx’s exposed throat with his mouth, brushing the tips of his teeth softly along the smooth skin there. His wandering lips stopped to whisper just below Demyx’s ear, “Or was that a miscalculation on my part?”

 The low rumble of Xigbar’s voice went straight to Demyx’s cock, the pulsing pressure against his zipper swelling by the second. He attempted to swallow back the obscene mewl forming at the back of his throat, but failed strikingly. An aberrant mixture of shame and excitement raged under his skin, making his face feel as if it was on fire. “F-fucking hell, Xiggy…”

 The man in question had the nerve to laugh at him, not at all hesitant to show how delighted he was about the other’s desperate state. Tightening his grasp on Demyx’s hair, Xigbar bugged up his hips with a sudden, sharp motion, causing their hardened fronts to rub together. “I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that.”

 “Now you’re being just mean”, Demyx’s lament stretched into a melodious whine. Arching his back tightly, he brought his trembling hands on Xigbar’s shoulders as he attempted to imitate the movement.

 “Who’s being mean now?” Xigbar grunted, his intense expression illuminated by the white, flashing light of the muted television. Despite how badly his raw hunger for this man had fucked up Demyx's capacity to form coherent thoughts, he was happy to see he wasn’t the only one about to lose his mind. “How am I supposed to keep it together when you sound like that?”

 Demyx had known it for a while till then, but now that he willed his cloudy sight to focus on Xigbar’s oddly serious face, the realization struck him with a stunning force; there was no way he would be able to let go of this man ever again. It was a silly, naïve thought to harbor, especially when they’d been aware of each other’s existence only for such a short while… and yet it made perfect sense in Demyx’s spellbound mind.

 Demyx reached to seize the callused hand aimlessly wandering along his back, guiding it to the border of his pants. He leaned his head down and planted a light kiss upon Xigbar’s temple, as he spoke the quiet words, “Feel free to lose it right about now.”

 “Cheeky squirt”, a strangled growl sprung from Xigbar. Keeping his dazed gaze steadily on Demyx’s face, the feathery caress of rough fingertips duck under Demyx’s pants and to the cleft of his arse. “The things I wanna do to you…”

 “Show me”, Demyx panted, desperate and demanding as he rocked back to meet Xigbar’s touch. The front of his jeans felt so frustratingly tight he wanted to scream. “Show me all of them. Right now, right here, or _else–_ “

 The rest of his threat was cut off by a loud moan, as Xigbar gripped at his buttocks hard enough to bruise, the tip of his middle finger pressing the wrinkled skin of Demyx’s hole.

 “Careful what you wish for”, Xigbar blew the words against his neck, that Demyx so obediently bared for him. Dry lips stopped their journey below his ear, right on that spot where Xigbar knew he was sensitive from. “They aren't too nice, you see.”

 It was all too much and not enough at the same time. If he weren’t so lost in his primitive need for this man, the notion how he could easily come right there on the spot if Xigbar continued his teasing, would have earned a laugh from him for sure. As it was, the sensation of yielding under Xigbar’s capable hands was so overwhelmingly euphoric to Demyx, that he felt like crying from sheer happiness. When it came to sex, Demyx had always enjoyed letting himself go, allowing the control of the situation to someone else. The ongoing theme with that seemed to be however, that more often than not he ended up feeling frustrated and disappointed in the end, never quite getting just what he was looking for.

 And then there was Xigbar, whose mere presence made Demyx want nothing more than give in to his every whim.

 Every touch from this man, every sweet-nothing whispered by him, the outright hungry way he looked at Demyx, as if nothing else in this world would be enough to save him from starvation… no one else had ever been able to captivate him so thoroughly.

 As Xigbar leaned to nip at his earlobe, while rubbing a one rough fingertip around the ring of his entrance, Demyx was left chanting disjointed gibberish with reckless abandon. What he meant to voice out, was probably something among the lines of ' _Cu_ _t it off with the fondling and just fuck me like you mean it.'_ The sentiment ended up emerging from his mouth in quite an unexpected form, however.

 “I love you.”

 He knew it was a mistake immediately after the words flooded from his mouth. Knew it from the way Xigbar’s movements came to an abrupt stop and his body stiffened below him. Halted right there in each other's arms, as if they were characters inside of a paused movie scene, Demyx was too afraid to even breathe. His heart pounded with such violent pace he feared it might explode.

 “What”, Xigbar exhaled against the skin of his neck. As he leaned his head back to meet Demyx’s eyes, the younger man’s heart ached at the sight of him; so lost and confused, like he didn’t understand the words Demyx had just spoken to him. “What did you just say?”

 _You heard me the first time._ He wanted to say, to make the man see he meant every single word his foolish mouth had accidentally blurted out. _I love you so much it hurts._

 “Xigbar, I-“

 But just like every time that something groundbreaking like this was about to unfold between them, the interruption was inevitable.

 “Dammit Demyx, we talked about this just yesterday!” A loud thud carrying from the hallway was accompanied by Zexion’s grumbling.

 The sudden arrival of his roommate startled both Demyx and Xigbar out of their bubble. Hastily fumbling free from the other man’s arms, Demyx tipped radically enough on his right side, that he ended up losing his balance and crashing sideways to the floor. Xigbar, who’d dived to catch him midair before his downfall, followed closely behind.

 Zexion continued his nagging all the way as he neared the living-room. “The shoe rack is there for a purpose! This was the third time this week that I almost tripped on your stupid sneakers, and – _oh my god_ , I think I just went blind…!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make it clear to anyone who's confused: Naminé has three parents, since Riku, Sora and Kairi are in a polyamorous relationship!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why hello! It's been a while!
> 
> Heads up for some serious soap opera drama and mild violence!
> 
> I feel like my betalessness and varying skills at English grammar are really showing in this chap. Sorry about that 😅

 

 Sticky dancefloor under Demyx's feet was cramped by tipsy, cheerful people, twisting wildly to the beat of the electronic music as they aimed to let the Friday night wash away all their stress and worries of the past week. Frantically thrumming bass resonated thorough his feather-light body, mimicking the wild beat of his heart. As if there were two of them pounding within his chest, pumping blood with an arduous rhythm.

 When a stranger with pretty face and nicely toned arms approached him, a question in their hazel eyes, Demyx welcomed them near without a second thought, allowing them to put their hands on his kindled body as they moved with the music. He would have liked nothing better than to continue this sweet escape from reality until the sun climbed up to the sky. Though Demyx knew the exhilarating lightness of his body was only temporary, a fragile illusion created by alcohol and the high of getting noticed by a beautiful stranger, he wanted to hold on to the sensation as long as he could. It was as if he’d went back in time, to being the old, worry-free Demyx of Traverse Town; a simple young man who was good at breaking hearts but never allowed anyone the novelty of doing the same to his.

 A shallow, catchy song after the other, they laughed, they danced, and as the stranger leaned in to say something to him, a playful smirk on their plump lips, Demyx responded politely with a laugh, though he hadn’t caught a word of what they’d just said. The stranger shook their head, earnest eyes reflecting the colorful spotlights surrounding the dancefloor. Leaning even closer, the warmth of their breath tickled Demyx’s ear as they repeated themselves. “Are you alone?”

 He wasn’t, and his intoxicated mind recalled that only upon the question. A very sullen, blue-haired spoilsport that was his best friend, had been left sulking alone at their table, as Demyx had disappeared among the groups of dancing club-goers. It hadn’t been a very nice thing to do, to ditch Zexion like that, when he’d been generous enough to acquiesce and come clubbing with him in the first place, though there weren’t many things the guy hated with such passion except the very activity. Upon getting a reminder of his inconsiderate ways, it was now the hazel-eyed stranger's turn to get a taste of Demyx’s impulsiveness. With a halfhearted _“sorry”_ , Demyx fled their arms, leaving them staring dumbly in his wake. It really was as if he were suddenly reverted back into his past self.

 Drifting his way through the maze of swaying bodies, Demyx was starting to worry if Zexion had gotten mad enough to leave him to his own devices and left home already. He was relieved to see that wasn’t the case, as he soon spotted the guy nearby the bar counter. Instead of mulling alone and drowning his frustration in reckless drinking, Zexion was immersed in conversation with a tall, skinny man with long blond hair tied up in a ponytail. Demyx couldn’t but note how the guy appeared almost as out of place there as Zexion did. A permanent sulk was tattooed on his pointy features, making him look as if there was something smelly right under his sharp nose.

 “Look who came back”, Zexion remarked upon Demyx’s arrival, sarcasm dripping from his dry tone. “Finally got fed up getting squashed between sweaty strangers?”

 “Hardly”, Demyx shrugged, taking a swig of the pint the bartender handed him. “And it wouldn’t hurt for you to loosen up a little and follow my example sometime.”

 “We both know that’s not going to happen”, Zexion scoffed back. Though he was clearly a bit salty for getting abandoned in the middle of the crowded club, Demyx could spot a hint of amusement upon his blank face. “Ah, that’s right”, he suddenly continued, turning his attention back to the tall blond beside him, who eyed Demyx with an uninterested expression. “Demyx, meet Vexen, he’s a chemistry professor at our faculty.”

 As Zexion mentioned his name, the man’s arrogant behavior was quick to falter. Something strangely curious lit up in his brillianly green eyes as he clasped Demyx’s hand. “Demyx, you say?”

 “Uh, that’s me”, Demyx offered, slightly taken aback by the sudden change in Vexen’s icy attitude. It was hard to say why exactly, but something about being scrutinized by his clever eyes made Demyx feel very much like pulling his hand free and running to hide among the seas of people at the dancefloor.

 “Of course you are”, the man finally hummed with a nod, as if he’d just accepted an explanation for a mystery of some sort. That said, his attention was back on Zexion, as they continued on with whatever they’d been talking about before Demyx’s arrival. Demyx wasn’t sure what to make of Vexen’s odd remark. He had all the reason to feel offended by the behavior of this strange man, but decided it’d be unreasonable to dwell on it too much. He concluded it must’ve been a scientist thing, anyway – just like Zexion, this man didn’t seem too keen on worrying about such inconvenient things like appropriate ways of socializing.

 The two academics were once again deep in conversation about something way too complicated for Demyx to contribute much, though he did try his best to do so at first.

 Zexion was probably giving back to him for disappearing on him like that, which in all honesty was nothing but understandable. Complying to the silent treatment that may or may not have been intentional, Demyx found himself throwing yearning looks towards the neon-lit dancefloor. A catchy tune of some overused radio hit was like a siren’s song to his restless body. It felt way more tempting to dive into the bubbly atmosphere created by the high-spirited party people, than decompose slowly while listening two boring nerds jabbering about confusing concepts, that went completely over his head.

 In the middle of an inner debate whether he should act on the urge or not, Demyx’s mulling was put on a hold as a pair of hands landed heavily on his shoulders.

 “What’s this now? My most beloved ex-colleague running wild and free without his Royal Escort!” Marluxia sang in his ear after popping next to him, cloud of eye-wateringly strong alcohol fumes following him closely. “Whatever will our favorite outdated ruffian say about this?”

 “Hi to you too, Marly”, Demyx muttered, trying to shake the solidly drunken man off of him, before the weight of him would send them both crashing to the floor. “And he’ll say absolutely nothing! I don’t need any old geezer’s permission for doing what I want.”

 It really started to look as if his night was destined to get screwed by sulky scientists and gossip-thirsty drunks. The fact that Marluxia’s slurred musings were agonizingly accurate, added to his growing distress even more. They’d been fighting over the very topic rather heatedly for the past week, after Demyx finally spoke his mind to Xigbar. He guessed Xigbar wanting to protect him from his enemies was something he could understand, though he still didn’t quite see what his own role in this whole absurdness was in the first place. Was he really considered something so valuable to Xigbar, that those cons saw him as a potential tool for blackmailing him?

 Despite his current frustration towards the One-Eyed Asshole, a flock of butterflies burst flying about his stomach at the idea.

 “Oh. But didn’t you guys”, Marluxia whirled his head about conspirately, as if making sure there weren’t any unwanted pairs of ears listening them, “have that  _thing_ going on?”

 “Thing”, Demyx parroted, not at all sure if he wished Marluxia to specify whatever he meant by that. “What _thing_?”

 “Quit playing innocent and spill the details!” The pink-haired man exclaimed impatiently, reacting to Demyx’s subtle attempts to sneak from his presence by throwing an arm around his shoulder in overly friendly way. “You know, I always knew the old bastard was into some kinky shit, but hiring people to stalk you?” Marluxia’s blue eyes glinted with excitement, like he was a child about to unwrap his Yuletide present. “That’s some next level stuff right there. I heard there’s a contract and all that jazz…”

 “W-what? No!” Demyx screeched out, positively horrified. He wasn’t certain, to what extent Marluxia was aware of their situation, but considering the absurd conclusions he’d jumped into, he guessed the man was mostly clueless. Wiggling free from his grasp, he thanked whatever higher might for not being completely sober for this conversation. “Where the hell do you even hear these things?” 

 “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Marluxia frowned, expression upon his boozy face dropping dramatically. As if Demyx’s reluctance to share what he supposed were juicy details of his lascivious lifestyle was a personal offense to him. “To be honest, I’m a bit jealous. Vexen would never let me-“

 “Stop bothering other people, you oaf!” Vexen appeared just in time to save Demyx from the overly curious pinkhead by giving a light smack across his head.

 “See? All he ever does is hit me”, Marluxia growled, rubbing the back of his head and throwing a glare at the tall blond.

 “I do not.” Vexen lifted his nose up high coolly, ignoring the other man’s laments as he turned to Demyx. “Do forgive him. He’s a simpleton and rarely thinks before he speaks.”

 Demyx didn’t get a chance to reassure him, how he’d gotten quite used to Marluxia’s nosiness during his time at The Oblivion, as the pair was engaged in a passionate argument in no time. He recalled Marluxia mentioning his fiancée several times before, often speaking of Vexen in an unabashedly smitten way, even though they appeared to be fighting over the pettiest things quite regularly. It sure was a funny coincidence, how Marly's Special Someone had turned out to be Zex’s college professor.

 Not at all ashamed of their voluminous confrontation, the couple continued on with their bickering for several minutes. Their audience, that included Demyx and Zexion, had the courtesy to retreat a bit farther from the scene. Their shared uncomfortable position was seemingly starting to mellow Zexion’s annoyance towards Demyx’s earlier disappearance. He threw a knowing glance at his friend, the kind they used to share as kids, when someone did something absolutely ridiculous and they were left trying their hardest to keep a straight face.

 Sipping at his drink whilst leaning back on the counter, Demyx was starting to find Marluxia and Vexen’s fiery argument weirdly satisfying. It felt kind of refreshing to witness someone else’s drama rather than being the center of one himself for once.  
 The show didn’t go on for too long, however. With a brief apology to Demyx and Zexion, Vexen pinched his partner’s ear between his bony fingers and began to drag him away. It was a bit disturbing, how their argument seemed to only increase the strange electricity between the two. The fire lighting in their eyes before they took their leave was something Demyx found himself relating to. An unexpectedly heavy weight dropped at the bottom of his belly; suddenly he yearned to see Xigbar so badly it left him feeling nauseous.

 That, or he’d simply had too much to drink within a relatively short while.

 The remaining duo retreated from the bar counter’s presence, as it was starting to get cramped by other customers. They’d come to the club rather early that night, and it was only then that the place was starting to truly bloom into life. All the tables seemed occupied at the first look, but it didn't take long until they spotted a free corner at the end of long table, where a group of pretty girls in glittery dresses chatted animatedly around their glasses of colorful cocktails. Despite the boozy state of both men, they were still sophisticated enough to ask if it was okay to invade the other end of the table, to which the girls earnestly agreed to. They seemed even a bit disappointed when it became clear neither Demyx or Zexion had any interest in responding to the flirtatious looks they kept throwing at the two.

 “Is he making you that upset?” Zexion voiced suddenly. His eyes were fixed upon the remaining foam at the bottom of his glass, traces of light amusement on his face nowhere to be seen.

 Demyx mentally cursed at his ever-so crappy poker face. After all these years, Zexion could still read him like an open book.

 “Believe me, I’ve learned to put up with Marly’s teasing quite well. The guy’s not too bad, actually, once you get to know him better”, Demyx tried playing oblivious while chatting airily. Of course, Zexion wasn’t buying any of it. If anything, his severe frown grew even deeper by Demyx’s attempt.

 “I’m not referring to the pink and obnoxious”, Zexion prompted calmly, though Demyx knew for a fact it was taking every ounce of his self-control to remain so every time this particular topic came up. “I’m talking about the Mobster Grandpa.”

 “He’s got a name, you know?” Demyx grumbled back. He was really starting to regret for not getting another beer while they were still at the counter. He knew from experience, how Xigbar-bashing would now be the dominating theme of their conversation for the rest of the night. “Besides, he’s younger than you think.”

 “Don’t”, Zexion countered, surprisingly snappy as he pointed up an accusative finger at Demyx. “Don’t you try to distract me.” He leaned across the table, so his face was only inches away from Demyx, all the while looking him dead in the eye. “What has he done now?”

 “N-Nothing! He’s done absolutely nothing!“ Demyx could physically feel Zexion’s stare getting more murderous by the second, as he stammered in his desperate search for words. It didn’t take but a fleeting moment until he crumbled under the pressure. “Okay, we've been fighting. Just like normal people do once in a while.”

 It was the truth; they’d been doing that quite a lot lately. Demyx believed the reason why their encounters of late boiled down to that was a mixture of many issues. Xigbar’s unspoken past being the major one of them, no matter how hard he’d tried to pretend it didn’t matter. Though Demyx wanted to say he trusted Xigbar with all his heart and didn’t wish to push him by being too curious, the suspense was really starting to weigh him down. He needed answers. He needed them soon, before it all would become too much to bear.

 Something unsure mingled in Zexion’s scowl. He seemed to even squirm a bit as he mumbled his next words so quietly, that Demyx had a hard time hearing them. “And during those fights, does he ever... lose his temper?”

 “Of course not! How can you even say that?” Demyx shot back sharply. He could feel a headache coming on and it had nothing to do with alcohol or the devastatingly loud music beating in his ears. He hadn’t known it was possible, but ever since he’d started seeing Xigbar again, Zexion’s prejudice towards the man had reached even more intense dimensions. “Sure, he’s quick to flare up and he can be crude and really _fucking_ annoying at times. And yet”, Demyx rambled away, desperate to convince Zexion that he wasn’t some brain-washed victim here, “he’s the kindest, most wonderful man I’ve ever been with.”

 “So you say”, Zexion sighed. There was such heart-wrenching worry in his blue eyes that Demyx didn’t really find it in him to get offended by his following words. “He isn't forcing you into anything you’re not comfortable with, is he?”

 “Zex, I’m afraid you’re officially out of your mind!“ Demyx sputtered a laugh. Though the concept was far from being funny, the mere suggestion was just so far-fetched and distorted from reality, that laughter was the first reaction to arose in him. A sharp pinch somewhere nearby his heart was hard to ignore, though. Just how long had his friend been alone with these kinds of suspicions?

 “I’m not blind, Demyx. The way he looks at you”, Zexion insisted, hostility dripping from his words as he mumbled gravely, “Makes me want to carve the bastard’s eye out.”

 “I can assure you that that’s exactly how I want him to look at me”, Demyx replied easily, though he suddenly felt like an overheated tea kettle that someone forgot on the stove. The awkward fact, how a simple reminder of Xigbar was enough to reduce him into a needy mess was old news, but the inevitability of it seldom failed to perplex him; his chronic need for the man had become something infused with his body, an unquestionable part of his existence that couldn’t be helped.

 A smirk played on Demyx’s face as he drawled teasingly, “Just thinking of it makes me want to…” _Throw my hands up and let him use me as he pleases._

 Zexion’s ears were spared from this reveal, as he hurried to prevent his friend's plans to overshare, pure horror blooming on his pale face. “For the love of everything! Please don’t continue.”

 “Well, you kinda had it coming”, Demyx shrugged, chugging down the lukewarm foams from the bottom of his pint. A slightest hint of guilt banged at his chest for teasing his friend like that, when he’d only been worried for his well-being. “But for real, you don’t need to worry about me”, Demyx said with soothing voice as he reached to grasp Zexion’s hand across the table. The gesture seemed to startle the other man, but he didn’t wrench away from the touch. “I promise you that he’s been nothing but good to me.“

 "Then why do you look as if someone ran over a puppy?” Zexion articulated carefully, countering Demyx’s sincere gaze with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

 “I…” Demyx started, not really feeling like filling Zexion in on Xigbar’s wildly dubious background would be wise, he quickly came up with another explanation, one that wasn’t completely made up either. “I told him something I probably shouldn’t have.”

 “Like what? To take his cringy-ass motorcycle and ride it into the fucking ocean?”

 “That I love him.”

 The words sounded so foreign in his ears, the weight of them surprisingly heavy as they were left floating in the musty, reeking air of the club. His slippery tongue was an inconvenient thing to worry in comparison to all the other hardships his and Xigbar’s colorful affair included, and yet it felt just as severe of an issue.

 Back in that evening at his and Zex's apartment, Demyx's accidental confession had left Xigbar visibly uncomfortable. It almost felt as if something within the man had switched off after that. Sure, Xigbar was as responsive as before when things got intimate in a physical way. If anything, he'd gotten even more daring with expressing his passions, casting them upon Demyx in all the right ways. It seemed however, that the boldness he’d gained on that aspect had happened on the expense of his emotional transparency. Nowadays, whenever Demyx tried shifting the course of any conversation towards deeper waters, Xigbar got wary and fidgety, and when it all started getting too much for him, he would seal Demyx’s mouth shut with a hungry kiss.

 Demyx wasn’t complaining, though. How could he, when all he’d yearned was for Xigbar to touch him like that? He hadn’t intended to speak those words out loud in the first place, so what did it matter, if Xigbar didn’t say them back to him? For all he knew, he should be grateful the reveal hadn’t scared the man away for good.

 Zexion studied him with careful eyes from across the table, colorful spotlights illuminating his unreadable face. Demyx couldn’t say what was it he was seeing, but he guessed a thoroughly screwed, lovesick loser would be a pretty accurate description of that.

 “You know what?” The eerie calmness in his friend’s words made Demyx shudder. Maybe he should warn Xigbar, so the man would know to brace himself for Zexion’s wrath. “Somehow that makes me want to carve his eye out even more.”

 

***

 Humid night air was charged with a promise of rain, as Demyx and Zexion started heading back to their apartment. The night out had been surprisingly enjoyable in the end, despite the plain upsetting while Demyx had spent on convincing how he wasn’t being mistreated by Xigbar, and there would be no need for Zexion to start plotting his murder. Demyx couldn’t say for sure if his friend had bought his words, which was greatly maddening. He felt defensive and disheartened on Xigbar’s behalf, even though he knew Zexion wouldn’t have voiced out his wildly inaccurate assumptions if he didn’t have a good reason for it.

 The man who possessed his heart may have been impulsive and inconsiderate at times, but Demyx was ready to swear by his life, that Xigbar would never _ever_ lay his hand on him… in a way Zexion implied, anyway.

 Demyx snorted out loud against his hand. Now he kind of wanted to see the look on Zexion’s face if he ever enlightened him, how Xigbar tossing him around like a sack of potatoes was a recurring element of his daydreams.

 “It’s a bit weird to laugh at your own thoughts, Demyx”, Zexion remarked as they stepped out of the musty fast food diner with paper bagged take-away’s in tow.

 “I’m not laughing. Can't you see I’m on the verge of tears?” Digging around the paper bag, Demyx fished a handful of fries and stuffed them all to his mouth. “Just thinking of watching your boring nerd show makes me want to cry.”

 “For the last time, we are watching _The Real Housewives of Radiant Garden_ only over my dead body!”

 Continuing their debate over what to watch from a streaming service as soon as they’d get home, the two friends headed towards the nearest cab stop. Busying himself in friendly bickering, Demyx strained his mind in order to block away the devastating emptiness spreading from his heart. If he hadn’t made a vow to dedicate the rest of the night to his best friend, he wouldn’t have hesitated to call Xigbar to come and get him right away. Solving their problems at 3AM while being undoubtedly tipsy would hardly be an ideal setting, but that wasn’t enough to shift Demyx’s awareness from his phone. The weight of it against his thigh taunted him to give in to the urge by every step he took.  
 Never in million years would Demyx had thought, that he’d become the kind of person to ditch his friends for a man like that, but here he was. Fully aware, that if Xigbar were to contact him right now, he’d do that in a heartbeat.

 To lure his thoughts into whole new direction, Demyx was about to delight Zexion by babbling out whatever nonsense came to his mind, but the words died on his tongue.

 A black limo curved next to the sidewalk so swiftly that his heart jumped. His mind wasn’t given the time to sort out just what was happening, before the window by the driver’s seat was rolled down. A neatly suited man with black shades appearing behind it seemed almost bored as he regarded them.

 “Am I speaking to Demyx?”

 “Depends on who’s asking”, Demyx countered. Despite the lightness of his voice, his thoughts were a raging storm. He knew exactly what this was about; the exact thing Xigbar was trying to shield him from, that he’d been too stupid to take seriously.

 “I’m afraid that’s classified”, said the man, calm intonation letting in a hint of frustration. “If you would be so good and get in without making a scene. We simply wish to talk.”

 Demyx had all the reason to doubt the statement; he’d seen plenty enough crime shows to know how an episode like this one would play out. He wanted to look about his surroundings, but the ice-cold terror pouring down on him prevented him from acting on that. The street they were walking by seemed dreadfully lifeless, only the faint sound of people laughing carried from somewhere further, giving him half a mind to cry out for help from the top of his lungs. Few cars drove past, neither one of them stopping to take a closer look at the scene.

 Dismissing Zexion’s hushed demands to know what the hell was happening, Demyx made up his mind within seconds. Sneakily he took a hold of Zexion's hand, never taking his eyes from the man in sunglasses.

 “Run!”

 Demyx yanked Zexion with him, sprinting down the street and darting onwards the direction they came from.

 “Demyx! What the– just what the fuck!” Zexion’s strangled yell rang behind his back. His shorter legs struggled to keep in rhythm with Demyx’s frisk strides, causing him to stumble on his steps as he dangled by his hand.

 “Just keep running!”

 Distantly he felt a pinch at his frantically pumping heart. He should have realized ages ago, that it would be only the matter of time until he’d manage to drag Zexion into this mess.

 He didn’t have the slightest idea of how long they’d been running and to where exactly, but by how the music and the sounds of people seemed to increase, Demyx fathomed they weren’t too far from the bar street. They probably had already managed to shake the suspicious man off their track, but his feet refused to stop; it was as if they were in a competition with his furiously raging pulse.

 With Demyx's lead, they made a sudden tight curve into the sheltered alleyway that Demyx knew would take them right at the core of a lively avenue. He regretted the decision immediately upon doing that. Just as he dived around the corner, he could make out a large figure rising from the shadows, blocking their way at the other end of the narrow alleyway.

 Cursing under his breath, Demyx tightened his hold on Zexion’s hand and turned on his heel. Only to see another imposing figure nearing them from where they’d just sprinted to the alley. He shifted his eyes between the sturdy men in black suits that rounded them, all the while his scattered thoughts tried to come up with a way to get them safely out of the tricky situation.

 For all he knew, he should have been scared shitless by this unlucky turn of events. Perhaps he was too, but feeling his friend’s furiously trembling hand clinging to his arm sent a rush of determination to run through Demyx’s veins. They could do whatever the hell they wanted to him, if it came to that. It was Demyx that they were after, and it would be over his dead body before he’d allow them to lay a hand on Zexion. Though it was unclear why was it that they needed him, the reason had undoubtedly something to do with Xigbar. If their goal was to use Demyx as a bait in order to get to the man, they probably needed him alive.

 Maybe, if he went with them willingly, they’d let Zexion go unharmed.

 “Stay back.” Shoving Zexion behind him, Demyx straightened his posture.

 “Are you mad?” Zexion hissed, attempting to push past him. Demyx could feel his whole body shaking as he clutched to his arm. “Like I’d just stand and ogle while they take you away!”

 Some wayward part of him wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Was this how Xigbar felt when Demyx had charged to defend him at The Oblivion?

 “Zex, please listen to me–“

 The rest of Demyx’s sentence was drowned in a shockwave of ear-tearing scream. Almost immediately after the chilling sound was left echoing through the desolated alleyway, the other one of their pursuers flew headfirst on the ground, as if an imaginary rug was suddenly swept off under him. As the man’s bulky form collided heavily upon the pavement, a figure was revealed behind him. A blue-haired woman in black leather jacket straightened into her full height from where she’d just been crouching down. The dim lights of the alley cast their dusty beams upon her imposing form, striking an almost dramatic effect.  
 It couldn’t have been more than few seconds, but for Demyx it felt as if he were suddenly caught in a loop where time didn’t exist, as their savior rose her head to capture his wide-eyed stare. A pathetic whimper emerged from Demyx’s throat. The sensation of getting pinned to his place by two golden eyes felt oddly familiar.

 He could have sworn he saw the woman rising an arrogant brow at him, before she was back in action.

 The furiously cursing man she’d just tackled to the ground was soon given another reason to screech out in agony, as she treaded on his meaty hand, easily evading the other one’s attempt to throw a punch at her. Without breaking a sweat, she grasped the bulky man’s extended arm, pulling him effortlessly closer and striking him at the back of his neck in deadly effective motion. Heavy, slackened body collapsed right on top of the other man already lying on the ground, who huffed out weakly as the breath got knocked right out of him. It was like watching a dancer performing her number; every movement carefully calculated and smooth, none of them left without a purpose. Demyx found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the ruthlessly elegant performance.

 Zexion’s grasp on his arm tightened, as the mystery-woman turned her attention sharply at them. With a swift leap, she was suddenly standing right in front of them.

 Pushing Zexion reflexively further behind his back, Demyx couldn’t help but flinch back few steps at the unexpected movement. Nevertheless, he returned her piercing leer with what he hoped didn’t give away just how shaken he was. From this close, her demanding presence felt even more powerful. Demyx could feel his knees getting wobbly, and not entirely by fear.

 It was impossible to deny, how breathtakingly gorgeous this woman was. She was taller than Demyx, considerably so, and her proud form seemed lite in a muscular way. The color of her untamed hair made Demyx think of the clear summer sky above the tranquil ocean waves. Wickedly golden eyes were hard to look at, but once Demyx found himself captured by them, he could feel in his bones how there was no escaping from her. Suddenly he was convinced this wasn’t the first time he’d been measured by that very glare.

 “Which one of you is Demyx?” Her low voice sounded surprisingly soft, though her serious face remained carefully neutral.

 Demyx glanced at Zexion. His friend was still holding on to his arm steadfastly, managing a small but firm shake of his head. Wide blue eyes rounded from terror, and Demyx could read the silent plea that they held.

 “That’d be me”, he confessed with a squeak, evoking a disapproving gasp from his friend.

 “Should’ve guessed as much”, the woman shrugged. She dived a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. Snatching one between her lips, she lighted it and took a long, savoring drag of her smoke. “Come along, Kitten. There are few things I wish to discuss with you.”

 

***

 Demyx and Zexion fell into step behind the strange woman, like two little chickens obediently wobbling at the tail of the mother hen. A shiny black Lamborghini parked beside the street came into their view soon. The woman unlocked the vehicle with the click of key-remote, hopping on the driver’s seat. When neither Demyx or Zexion made any movement towards the car, she rolled down the window.

 “What’s the hold up? Time’s wasting.”

 “Are we”, Demyx started gingerly, nervously avoiding her expectant glare. “Are we your hostages now?”

 She squinted at Demyx, like it was taking some effort on her to comprehend what he’d just said. “You really aren’t the sharpest pencil in the package, are you?”

 Closing and opening his mouth like a fish upon dry land, Demyx didn't get to defend his insulted intelligence as the woman continued. “No, I am not kidnapping you”, she groaned. “Quite the contrary, actually.”

 “Sounds like something a kidnapper would say.”

 “Just get in the car and try not to make my headache worse.”

 

 Demyx leaned his face against the cool glass of the car’s window. The drive to Lexaeus’ place felt like it took a lifetime, even more so when he could physically feel the fear and confusion that radiated from Zexion, who very determinedly ignored all Demyx’s attempts to communicate with him. Staring out the opposite window, he refused to even glance in Demyx’s general direction.

 Due to Demyx’s persistence, the mystery-woman had agreed on seeing Zexion to the safety of Lexaeus’ apartment before taking Demyx to wherever she intended to. With a sinking feeling he recognized how the right thing to do would have been to stay by Zexion’s side and make sure his friend would be alright. Demyx might have been disturbingly content with the idea of risking his own safety for the sake of keeping Xigbar’s company, but that wasn’t the case of Zexion. He could only imagine how thoroughly shaken this whole mess had left the poor guy. And yet, upon meeting this strange woman, Demyx’s curiosity had grown to an extent where he was dying to know what all this meant. The unforgiving bitterness rose to his throat, as he fretted over his own selfishness.

 Maybe his best friend would be better off if he weren’t around, anyway.

 Zexion didn’t look him in the eye as they bid their goodbyes by Lex’s building's front door. With a barely audible _“Please be safe”_ and a brief, heart-wrenchingly disappointed glance at Demyx, he flicked the key in the lock and stepped to the building. The sound of the door being shut in his wake reverberated its hollow sound through every inch of Demyx’s consciousness.

“Problems?” The blue-haired woman leaned lazily against the car’s open window when Demyx returned, calm demeanor perfectly unreadable as she smoked away yet another cigarette. 

 Demyx snapped his face up to glare at her. Something about the nonchalant, almost arrogantly uninterested way that she spoke made a sudden burst of anger scorch at his guts. “What’s it to you?” He spit, consciously aiming to outdo her rudeness. “I don’t even know who you are!”

 All the while grumbling vaguely under his breath, Demyx wrenched the opposite door open and took the front seat. He crossed his arms with a scowl, an announcement of just how frustrated he felt. The woman rose her brow at his antics, blowing a thick cloud of smoke into the the dense night air.

 “You’re upset.” Her remark colorless as ever, she dropped the cigarette on the ground and rolled the window close again.

 “Well, no shit. What were you expecting?” Immediately cringing at how pathetic his voice came out, a rational part in him tried to reason against his own ungratefulness. It was thanks to this woman that those men weren’t able to get to him and Zexion. As it were, It didn’t help the fact how every sentence her infuriatingly monotonous voice phrased made Demyx see red. “Of course I’m upset!”

 “I see. This is exactly how I feared it might be.” She started the car again. Her golden eyes strictly on the road, there wasn’t a hint of sympathy in her blunt statement. “You are way too fragile for putting up with this kind of life.”

 The arrogance of this woman! How dared she make such assumptions of what Demyx was capable of and what not, when he’d never even met her before? He wasn’t completely sure about what _kind of life_ she was referring to here, but if he were to make a wild guess, it probably had something to do with his relationship with Xigbar.

 “Listen here, lady –“

 “It’s nothing worth getting mad for”, she shrugged. “Like it or not, you’re already neck deep in this shit, anyway.”

 Demyx had anticipated that’d be the case, but still her words left him feeling sick by the dash of panic brushing over him. Breathing started to feel like a chore, it caught in his throat, coming in and out in forms of frantic panting. “I need to see him”, he was able to croak. It was hard to tell his own voice from the cacophony of his raging heart. “I need to see him right now.”

 The woman nodded, apparently understanding right away whom he meant. Demyx half-expected her to ridicule him for his barely restrained hysteria, but she was considerate enough to not throw fuel into the fire. “Calm down. That’s exactly where we’re headed.”

 The reassurance eased some of the stiffness in Demyx. His body felt strained and heavy as he leaned back in his seat, following the pattern of yellow beams thrown at his face as the line of streetlights passed by. He hoped the guitar riff of an overused classic rock anthem playing on the radio was enough to bury the pathetic sob that got away from the midst of his ragged breathing.

 

 By the time they pulled at Xigbar’s extensive front yard, Demyx felt thoroughly exhausted in the aftermath of his suppressed melt down. He knew from experience how bawling to his heart's content would have mellowed down some of the the nerve-wrecking frustration gnawing at his senses. Determined to not give his savior any new reasons to accuse him of being an absolute wimp, he’d ended up swallowing his tears, however.  
 Demyx followed the woman across the cobblestone walk leading at the manor’s front door, his heart about to burst by the knowledge that he was only seconds away from seeing Xigbar. Few more steps until he’d finally be safe and sound in his arms. Distantly he wondered, how it was kind of peculiar, that the woman possessed keys to Xigbar’s house, but the urgency to see the very man made him dismiss the notion for the time being.

 Demyx actually hadn’t visited Xigbar’s place that often. At the beginning of their affair, the encounters they shared had mostly taken place at anywhere else expect their respective households. Along with their constantly evolving relationship, that too had started to change lately. He wondered how many times he’d have to step into that hallway before his guts would get fed up with all the twisting and squeezing they participated in every time he did.

 The automatic lights flicked to light up the quiet hallway as they stepped inside. It was only then that his reeling head registered it was already well past 5AM, and Xigbar had probably been sleeping soundly for several hours by that point. Now that the chaos claiming his mind had mostly subdued, he couldn’t help but dread if it really was okay for them to just barge into someone else's house like that.

 His companion didn’t seem to share these worries; completely unabashed, she strolled to the kitchen with confident steps. Tossing her jacket carelessly on a chair, she headed at the fridge which she started to rummage with no hesitation.

 “Here”, she called over her shoulder, tossing a can of beer to Demyx with no warning. He was only barely able to catch the object flying at him, before it managed to collide with his ribs. “Looks like you’re in need of one more.” Flopping on a chair, she didn’t fluctuate to make herself comfortable by tossing her boots on the table. With a nod of her head, she gestured for Demyx to take a seat as well. “So, how much has he told you?”

 “He’s told me something”, he trailed off, agonizingly aware of the color red flourishing on his face. If she didn’t already think of him as a complete joke, now she would for sure. What kind of self-respecting person would willingly stay oblivious of their lover’s ties to the criminal underworld? “I mean, I know he, and I’m guessing you too, belong to a mob of some sort. And… that’s about it, I think.”

 “You're telling me you don’t know-” The woman about fell backwards with her chair, but was able to regain her balance just in time before her downfall. “Well, that certainly explains some things…” She granted an almost pitying look at Demyx, as she continued carefully. “Listen closely, Kitten–“

 “No, you don’t have to tell me!” Demyx hurried to interrupt her. A surge of determination his unseemly decision filled him with, was enough to overcome his embarrassment over how blatantly naïve he must've seemed to her right now. “Whatever it is, I want to hear it from him.”

 The woman blinked at him, and if there ever was a right moment to describe her collective demeanor as dumbfounded, now would be it. “Damn. I can see why he’s so taken with you”, she mused. For the first time after their encounter, a crack appeared on her solid façade. “There isn’t much room for such sincerity and innocence in the life we’re used to.”

 A spontaneous laugh emerged from Demyx. It felt exceedingly bizarre, hearing someone associate a guy like him with such noble traits.  
 Never mind how he’d decided he wanted to learn about Xigbar’s background and of the things he’d done from the man himself, to say he weren’t burning from curiosity by then, would have been a lie. At the very least, he needed to know what his own role in this whole picture was. “Those guys back there at the alley…”

 “The short version?” She chuckled darkly. “Xigbar’s been procrastinating with his mission, and our boss is convinced the reason for that is you. They were supposed to capture you in order to motivate his lazy ass.”

 Demyx took a large swig of his drink, wishing it would help flush down the lump that rose to his throat. Were there still some sanity left in him, he would have been shocked by the confirmation, how those men really were specifically after him. However, it only deepened his ever-growing worry for Xigbar. “So, he’s in trouble because of me.”

 “He’s always in trouble”, the woman replied with a scoff. “That’s just how he is. If he would learn to use his head one of these days, he’d realize it’d be much easier for all of us if he just obeyed his orders.”

 “Why can’t you people just let him be?” His hand itched to fly in front of his mouth in reaction to the words that just flooded out. No matter how much he felt like hiding after the outburst, his state of tipsiness as well as the tidal wave of newfound misery defeated the sensation easily. Few seconds had been enough for his mind to paint a bittersweet utopia of how different their life might look like, if only Xigbar could brake free from his burden. “He’s got a good life here. If he doesn’t want to participate in whatever he’s made to do, just leave him alone.” _Leave us alone._

 “One doesn’t just cut themselves off from the family business”, said the woman. She calculated him with a strange look, as if she couldn’t for the life of her figure him out. “We were born and raised to be a part of it, to follow its orders… but he never did a very good job at living by anyone's rules.”

 “Hold on a second”, Demyx piped in. He was left feeling dizzy as the realization hit him so hard his ears rang. It all made sense now; the casual way she'd just waltzed into Xigbar's house, her frankly maddening devil-may-care attitude, the horrible, brilliant glint of those golden eyes, that got Demyx feeling weightless and unreal... there was no way this person wasn't somehow related to Xigbar. “I know who you are–“

 “Demyx?”

 Demyx flipped around in his chair, and was met with the sight of Xigbar in his worn t-shirt, tousled hair falling over his alarmed frown. The gears turning wildly in his head were almost audible, as his gaze shifted cautiously between Demyx and the blue-haired woman. “What’s the meaning of this?”

 Thinking his actions beforehand had never been one of Demyx’s strongest points. Somehow that tended to start showing especially strongly whenever he was within Xigbar’s target area, and so was the case this time around, too. Not caring the slightest whether this woman, whoever she happened to be, was there to witness his whimsical actions, Demyx didn’t waste any time overthinking before throwing himself into the man’s arms. Clinging to him, as if fearing he might disappear if he didn’t hold onto him fast enough.

 “I’m so sorry”, he released a shaky breath against the fabric of Xigbar’s shirt. Fresh scent of laundry mixed with the enticing smell of musk and cigarettes, conquering every ounce of Demyx’s awareness. As a pair of hesitantly hovering arms finally found their way around him, Demyx let his eyes fall closed, savoring the undeniable sensation of fulfillment coursing through him. “Sorry that I didn’t listen to you.”

 “You- what are you–“

 “You should really learn to take better care of your things, old man”, the woman commented lightly from her post at the table, where she followed their interaction with curious eyes. “This stray kitten was caught in a pretty potent trouble before I came to his rescue.”

 “What”, Xigbar hissed, voice low and dangerous as he pulled back to measure Demyx. If the strong hands gripping steadfastly on his shoulders were to suddenly ease their hold on him, Demyx feared he actually might lose all his constitution and drop on the ground by the mere strenght of Xigbar’s terrifying glare. “What happened?”

 

***

 The blue-haired lady who'd turned out to be no one else but Xigbar’s daughter, had excused herself a while ago as she apparently still had some unfinished businesses back in downtown. Demyx doubted how the drastically tensed atmosphere that'd descended over the room upon Xigbar's apparition might also have to do with her sudden disappearance. Regardless of her remarkable compact skills, Aqua's departure had seemingly fueled Xigbar’s already anxious state even more, even when he’d been careful to not voice out his thoughts on the matter. Demyx’s own concerns on whether she’d gotten into trouble for defending him from her fellow mob members didn’t seem like an issue, though. It appeared both father and daughter ranked pretty high within their organization, since they were part of the very family in charge of it.

 No matter how much it bugged him, despairing over the terrible first impression he must’ve made on his lover's daughter was something Demyx decided to participate in at a later date. Pure rage that Xigbar’s fuming demeanor sparked had his full attention.

 Sitting cross-legged on the plush living-room couch, he followed with worried eyes as Xigbar paced in restless circles in front of him. Occasionally grumbling harshly under his breath and rubbing the sides of his head in such agonizingly visible distress, that Demyx ached to reach out, to do whatever was in his power to lessen his discomfort.

 “Xigbar, calm down.”

 He couldn’t have, for the life of him offer a more useless comment. That much was proved as Xigbar whirled to glare at him in a way that made his heart feel tight.

 “The hell I will”, he snarled through his teeth. “Might consider it once I’ve skinned those half-witted fuckers alive. Some nerve they have, pulling that kinda bullshit on me…”

 Demyx grimaced at the harsh choice of words. Though he knew in his heart that Xigbar wasn’t angry with him, but to those men who’d chased after him and Zexion back there at the alleyway, it did nothing to prevent the ugly way his insides turned by the sight of the uncontainable fury that clearly wasn’t about to ease its hold on Xigbar.

 “You’re scaring me.”

 It was the first thing he could think of to make Xigbar see reason through the thick mist of rage. It wasn’t a complete lie, either. His illogical brain had taken him to an outright hysteric place, where he was suddenly convinced how this would be it; how Xigbar had finally gotten enough of him, for sure. How could he possibly forgive Demyx, for causing such trouble not only to him, but for his daughter too?

 Xigbar’s expression fell in an instant, his face suddenly painted with such naked hurt, it made Demyx immediately regret his words. The man was fast to recover from his shock, though, as his dismay was quickly replaced with vicious sneer.

 “Damn straight. You should be scared”, Xigbar scoffed, so easily, so convincingly cold, that Demyx was almost fooled into thinking that he meant what he said. “Get it now? This is the kinda shit you’ve signed up for”, he tsked, turning his back to Demyx as he continued his pacing with such vigor, that there'd surely be a gaping hole upon the marble floor before too long. “I should’ve known better than allow you to get involved in this. Should’ve left you alone while it still counted.”

 “You don’t mean that”, Demyx said in tiny voice, not at all certain if Xigbar had heard him. Suddenly it all reminded him so much of the dreadful evening at The Oblivion, that his eyes prickled, watering within seconds no matter how he tried fighting back the tears. _Fucking amazing, you useless loser. Start crying about it, why don’t you?_   “Say you don’t.”

 “Hey- please don’t start crying”, Xigbar sputtered in helpless panic, single golden eye widening from horror as he watched aquamarine eyes swelling with plumps of tears. Ever a man of action, he didn’t froze for too long, before reaching to entwine their fingers and pulling the sniveling man into firm embrace. “Demyx, babe, of course I don’t mean that. I’m so fucking sorry, sweetheart”, he murmured his mantra of apologies softly into Demyx’s ear, leaning down to nuzzle the side of his face.

 It was embarrassing, really, that Xigbar’s low voice calling him such corny endearments was all it took to crush the dam in his eyes for good. Salty waterfalls poured now with abandon, accompanied by uncontrollable, messy sobs and whimpers that Demyx was far past holding back. The caress of Xigbar's rough hands were excruciatingly gentle, as they drew along his back in soothing patterns, reducing the younger man into a smudge of putty with the tender act. “I’m keeping you safe, remember? If those motherfuckers prefer their heads attached to their bodies, they know better than trying shit like that anymore.”

 “That’s not- I’m not crying because I’m scared”, Demyx hiccuped once the rivers of tears had mostly dried on his face, and the shoulder of Xigbar’s shabby t-shirt was watered profoundly. Aquamarine eyes gleamed as they rose to look at Xigbar, whose arms remained securely around him. “I’m crying because I’m sad for you.”

 Xigbar’s grasp around his mellow form tightened at that, as if to prevent his own urge to take cover from Demyx’s sincere eyes. Gritting his teeth together, something ominously dark flashed across his face as he forced himself into holding the other man's earnest stare. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.”

 “Silly man!” Without a second thought, Demyx reached to cradle Xigbar’s disturbed face in his hands, completely unfazed by how menacing the man’s aura had suddenly grown. Something deep inside of Demyx crushed painfully, upon recognizing the strange undertone in Xigbar’s incalculable expression as fear. His heart burned from how much he yearned to wipe the dread and misery away from that precious face for good. “I can’t help it. All the things you’ve been through, what they’re making you and your family do… I can’t even begin to imagine how it’s been for you.”

 “Stop”, Xigbar snapped firmly. He seemed thoroughly at loss with how to act, when his command got blatantly discarded. His attempts to back away were also given the red light, as Demyx kept clinging to him with the desperation of a drowning man.

 “You don’t need to hide it from me, Xigbar." Clutching the fabric of Xigbar’s t-shirt, Demyx looked up into his bewildered face, body glued against the taller man, as if he was about to climb up to his eye-level at any second now. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 “Just sto–“

 “I’m being serious here. I don’t care what you’ve done, what you’re still doing… I know that you are a good person.”

 “I told you to fucking _stop it!_ ”

 His wrists engulfed by Xigbar’s strong grip, and the furious outburst hurled right against his face didn’t make Demyx flinch away. The younger man stood his ground, returning Xigbar’s fiery glare with calm, unyielding eyes that refused to look away.

 Breathing heavily, his own impulsiveness seemed to catch up with Xigbar’s disordered mind soon. Thunderclouds of anger were blown away as a look of absolute, ground-shaking devastation quickly claimed his demeanor.

 “I-I’m so sorry”, he gasped, releasing his hold on Demyx with a remorseful wince. “I shouldn’t have– “

 “Kiss me.”

 Raw hunger in his own voice had Demyx’s face heating by embarrassment. His mouth felt dry, and what must've been few of his remaining brain cells scolded him for blurting out such primitive thing out of the blue like that. There probably was something seriously wrong with him; what kind of person in their right mind got a raging boner at a moment like this?

 Curiously, the notion didn't make him feel like backing off the slightest. Watching the rich variety of emotions flash upon Xigbar's face was like throwing gasoline at the ever-burning sea of fire that this man had set his heart on. All it had taken were a few intense minutes under the same roof, and Demyx was already dying to get devoured by those flames all over again. _W_ _hat a charmer you are! There is a time and place for everything, you know?_

 “–yelled at you like that… _what?”_

 Absolutely frozen where he stood, Xigbar got his answer as an armful of violently blushing Demyx pulled him down and sealed his open mouth with explosive kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aqua in this story is totally a norted one! That's why she seems so ooc. I Imagined she'd have to be at least a little bit of a jerk if she's related to Xigbar 😈
> 
> And yeah, so, I made a soundtrack for this story because I'm a huge nerd. I really needed to restrain myself from making an absolute ABBA mixture out of this, since every song from them is apparently a XigDem anthem to me?
> 
> 1\. The Killers - The Man  
> 2\. ABBA - Under Attack  
> 3\. Sia - Free the Animal  
> 4\. Vienna Teng - Never Look Away  
> 5\. Cheap Trick - I Want You to Want Me  
> 6\. Die Antwoord - Ugly Boy  
> 7\. Lana Del Rey - Million Dollar Man  
> 8\. ABBA - Kisses of Fire  
> 9\. Alice Cooper - Only My Heart Talkin'  
> 10\. Queen - It's a Hard Life  
> 11\. The Struts - Could Have Been Me (Acoustic)
> 
>    
> For all you lovely readers I want to say how honored I am for your support! It really means the world to me ❤
> 
> I've been having quite a journey with this fic, since it is my first one ever for this fandom and in English. There's still few chapters left, and though it may take some time for me to finish them, we'll get there eventually!


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